Love Unsheathed
by th3.l1ttle.artee5t
Summary: A story of a complicated past, love, and redemption. Complete. [Jerza]
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **A/N:** **Hey guys! u This is my first fan fiction EVER, and I'm pretty much a die-hard Jerza fan.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

It was the beginning of a new semester at Fairy Tail University. Erza was bubbling with excitement upon stepping into her dorm room; it was hard to believe that she had been spending the past three years at F.T.U (Fairy Tail University). This is the year that she would graduate. Nothing made Erza any happier than this.

"Long time no see, Erza."

Erza nearly dropped her belongings when she heard her roommate's voice. "Mira!"

Mirajane giggled and briefly hugged Erza, only stopping to help pick up her books. Erza thanked her, and continued to unpack.

"Senior year, huh? I can't believe that we made it this far together!"

"Don't be silly, Mira. Our futures are ahead of us! There are lots more to do."

"Oh?" Mirajane smirked. "You don't even have a boyfriend yet!" She teased.

Erza flushed. "Mira, you know that's almost impossible for me."

It was true; almost everyone at Fairy Tail University feared her. She, Erza Scarlet, was the president to the student council, and her words were absolute. If there was a time when someone broke the rules, she would be the first to notice. Because of this, nobody dared to step out of line; unless if it was Natsu or Gray of course.

"Speaking of boyfriends, you don't have one yourself, Mira."

"In fact, I do."

"Y-you're kidding me! Since when?"

"I just met him during my summer job last month; nothing special. We've been together ever since!"

Erza was stunned. Mirajane actually got herself a boyfriend. For three years at F.T.U, she was oblivious to the fact that most men were heads over heels for her. It was surprising to hear that Mira actually found "the one". Erza sighed. It was about time, anyway.

Her eyes moved slowly towards the clock. "Oh no, I'm going to be late!"

"What are you talking about, Erza? It's 7:58 a.m; our classes start at 9!"

"That's not it... I'm one of the tour guides for the incoming freshmen!"

Erza groaned. She was always so punctual, but it looked like she wasn't going to make it this time. Plus, she wasn't even finished unpacking!

"Tell you what: I'll help you unpack while you're gone."

"Are you sure, Mira?" Mira nodded.

"Thanks a bunch! I owe you."

...

Erza sprinted down the hallway, ran down 4 flights of stairs and walked into the auditorium. Thank god; she was a minute early.

Principal Makarov was still on stage wrapping up his speech. Erza quietly made her way to the front where the other tour guides were. As soon as she got there, Erza received a light nudge from Bisca, and looked at her in surprise.

"Hey."

"Long time no see, Erza-san."

"Yes, it has been awhile." Erza smiled. "How are you and Alzack?"

Bisca blushed and put her finger to her lips. "U-um... We're alright."

Erza laughed and decided to stop teasing her for a bit. Besides, she could always continue another time.

"Alright freshman, listen up!" barked Principal Makarov. "When I give the signal, I want all tour groups to be assembled. Please find the tour guide with the number that we have assigned you. Tour guides, if you will."

Erza and the other tour guides stood and held their numbers up for all to see. Makarov whistled, and the freshmen immediately sought for their tour guides.

...

Mirajane slumped on the couch of their dorm room and sighed. Ever since Erza left for the tour, she was stuck unpacking countless boxes.

"Thanks to you, I don't have to worry about unpacking anymore," said Erza. "You really are something."

Mira smiled. "That's what friends are for, right?"

"Yeah."

"Seriously, how long do you plan on staying single?"

Erza coughed. "Shut up."

Mirajane laughed. "I think I've finally found your weakness, Erza."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Men." She smirked.

"Oh god... Don't remind me of HIM."

Mira was confused. Erza couldn't blame her; after all, she hadn't told anyone about this incident.

It all happened when Erza was a freshman at F.T.U. At the time, Erza was one of the members of the girl's fencing club who were chosen to participate in the annual state championship games. This wasn't surprising however, for Erza was athletic. Just before her match started, a man named Ichiya from Blue Pegasus Academy appeared out of nowhere and fancied Erza for her "parfum". It was especially annoying when he said the word "men" at the end of his sentences. Erza wasn't fond of his appearance ever since that incident. Thinking about it was enough to send chills down her spine.

"Erza? Erza!"

Erza snapped out of her trance. "S-sorry! I was just thinking..."

Mirajane gasped. "Could it be? Erza was thinking about a GUY?!"

Erza shot a glare in Mira's direction. "No, I don't think of Ichiya in that way."

"Who's Ichiya~?"

"You'll find out at the state championship games. Anyway, it's time to go. We only have six minutes."

"See you soon then, _Titania_."

Erza smirked. She had received that title at the games: _"Queen of the fairies"._ "Bye."

Little did she know that she would soon meet her true love...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **A/N:** **Hi! I don't have much to say, really... LOL. Anyways, happy reading!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

Erza slumped onto the couch of her shared dorm room. She gazed up at the ceiling and closed her eyes. Mira walked into the room and sat beside Erza.

"Hey."

"Hi Mira."

"Looks like you had a pretty rough day, Titania." Mirajane chuckled.

"You got that right. Natsu and Gray got into a fight right off the bat! It took me awhile to pull them apart..."

Mirajane laughed. "That's Natsu and Gray for you!"

"Yeah..."

"What about Evergreen?"

"Come to think of it, I didn't see her today."

Erza sighed as Mira mimicked Evergreen's usual tirade: "One day I'll beat you, Erza; the title 'Titania' is mine!" Erza groaned. Her impersonations were always spot on.

"I'm going to get something to eat," Erza said as she stood. "Coming?"

"I'm sorry, Erza, I can't... I have a date."

"Now?"

"No, but I need to freshen up a bit."

" I see... Well then, have fun."

And with that, Erza grabbed her purse and walked out the door.

...

Erza ordered a cup of coffee and a slice of none other than her strawberry cake. After waiting for what seemed like ages, Erza paid for her "dinner" and carried it to an empty table. She sat down and began to eat.

"That was delicious." She thought to herself as she walked out of the bakery. Erza was so deep into her thoughts when suddenly; she bumped into a hooded man holding various trinkets, causing them to scatter in all directions. She too, fell.

"I-I'm so sorry; I didn't see you there!" stammered Erza as she dusted herself off.

She looked at the man, who was about to respond, but merely nodded and started to pick up his belongings. Erza chipped in and managed to get a glimpse of him. A few strands of blue hair were poking out of his hood. The rest of his face remained concealed.

There was something queer about him though; it seemed that he has a red tattoo below is right eye. Erza gasped and managed to cover her mouth as she gaped at him.

"Is there something wrong, miss?"

"N-nothing!" said a startled Erza. "Here!" She thrust the items she retrieved into the confused man's arms. She turned and quickly walked away.

 **A/N:** **That's all for now. Thanks for reading! Stay tuned ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **A/N:** **Hai! ^-^ Back with another chapter ;) Let's find out what happens!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

 _"Hey, wait!"_

The man's words continued to reverberate through Erza's head as she ran towards her dorm room. Blue hair, that tattoo, his voice... was it really him? Erza's heart pounded heavily against her chest. "All I need is time to think this through." She muttered to herself. Erza reached down for her purse, only to discover that it wasn't there. She cursed under her breath; why was this suddenly happening to her?

"Erza!"

She turned around to see Mirajane and a muscular, blonde man striding behind her.

"Mira! Thank goodness." as she sighed in relief. Erza then turned her attention to the blonde. "And you are...?"

"Oh! Yes, yes, sorry..." Mirajane blushed. That was rare. "Erza, meet my boyfriend, Laxus. Laxus, this is my best friend, Erza."

"It's nice to finally meet you." Laxus held out his hand and Erza shook it.

"Ah, I see now." Erza smirked and glanced at Mirajane. "So you've finally confessed your feelings to our school's star player, huh? You have a good taste."

Mira blushed _again_ ; this was so not like her. "Yeah, I guess you could say that..."

Once they stepped into their dorm and Laxus bid his farewell, Mira threw herself on her bed. "What a night!" she exclaimed. Mira turned to her friend and immediately noticed that she was sulking. "Erza?"

"Huh?" Erza abruptly looked up at Mira, whose face was full of concern.

"I don't get it... You were smiling just a few seconds ago."

"I know, sorry. That's because I forgot my..." Erza stopped speaking and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I lost my purse. I need to retrace my steps."

Mira smiled. "Oh! Why didn't you say so in the first place?" She pulled out Erza's purse from her purple satchel.

Erza's face lit up the moment her eyes were set on her purse. "How did you-?"

"Looks like I forgot something too." Mira chuckled. "You see, Laxus and I were on our date and a man with a dark coat appeared and gave it to Laxus. It seemed as if they knew each other already, so I gave them some time to talk in private."

Erza stared at Mirajane. _A hooded man, red tattoo, blue hair..._ She had enough of this madness.

"I'm going to bed early. Good night, Mira."

"G'night."

 **A/N:** **Sorry for the short chapter :( I'll make up for it.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **A/N:** **Welcome back! *Gives you popcorn* Okay, okay, VIRTUAL** **popcorn. I'm sowwy T-T**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

 _"Leave her alone!" The boy clenched his fists._

 _The scarlet-haired girl screamed in agony as she was head-locked by a girl with raven hair; perhaps a year older. "Stop, you're hurting her!"_

 _"What are you going to do about it, Jellal?" she cooed as she tightened her grip. The girl screamed as she proceeded to squeeze tighter and tighter._

 _The boy couldn't take it any longer; he stepped forward and launched a volley of attacks at the raven haired girl. She immediately let go of the redhead and dodged just in time. She laughed at the two fourth graders. "Pathetic."_

 _"You'll pay for this, Ultear! Just you wait."_

 _"Am I supposed to be afraid?"_

 _"Hell yes!"_

 _Ultear cackled and continued to walk away._

 _Jellal glared after her as she walked away, and proceeded to help the girl up._

 _"Are you okay?"_

 _"I'm fine, thank you." The girl abruptly changed her soft expression to a form of shock. "W-wait, who are you?"_

 _The boy laughed. "I'm Jellal. Jellal Fernandes. And you are?"_

 _"I'm Erza Scarlet."_

 _"Nice to meet you, Erza."_

 _To his bewilderment, the girl was_ _ **blushing**_ _. "What's wrong?" he studdered._

 _"I'm sorry! I-it's just that... Um, thank you for saving me."_

 _"Ah! Well... It wasn't much of a big deal..." It was his turn to blush._

 _Erza laughed. "Hey, can we be friends? I mean, if you want to..."_

 _"Of course!"_

 _..._

 _A year later..._

 _"Erza!" She turned to face Simon, one of her friends, who was out of breath._

 _"Looks like you just ran a marathon." she laughed. "What's up?"_

 _"Jellal and Ultear are bullying-"_

 _He didn't have to finish his sentence. "Where are they?"_

 _It was a matter of seconds before they reached the scene- two kindergarteners lying on the ground; one of them seemed to be bleeding._

 _"Jellal!" Erza glared at the bluenette as Simon helped them up. "What is the meaning of this?"_

 _Ultear smirked. "Can't you see that we're busy here?"_

 _Jellal didn't utter a word. He remained rooted to the ground, silently staring it as if he was in some sort of trance._

 _"You can't even look at me?" she was trying not to release the water building up in her eyes._

 _"Ooh~ Looks like he can't stand the sight of your ugly face. No wonder why he chose ME over you for this year's dance." Ultear smirked. After all, this was her trump card._

 _Her eyes have betrayed her; tears flooded her eyes as she turned around to run away, hoping that no one noticed her tears._

...

"Erza, wake up!"

Erza finally managed to open her eyes, and saw Mirajane's big blue orbs staring at her in fear.

"What am I... Mirajane? What's going on?"

"Thank goodness you're awake! I was so worried; you were talking and sobbing in your sleep... I couldn't make out what you were saying though."

Erza was too astounded to speak. Had she really done that? What was happening to her?

"Here." Mirajane was handed a glass of water to Erza. "This should help a bit..."

"Thanks." Within a few seconds, Erza finished Mira's offering and placed it on the coffee table.

"Better?"

"Yeah, all thanks to you Mira."

"I'm glad..." Despite these words, Mirajane's face displayed concern for her best friend.

Erza smiled. "Hey, don't worry about me, Mira. I'm alright now."

Mirajane scanned Erza head to toe; suspicious. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, if you have anything to talk about, I'm here for you," Mira put a hand on top of Erza's. "...always."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it."

"That's what friends are for." Mirajane smiled, hugged Erza, and walked towards the dining area with the empty cup.

"Good night. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"You're right... Sweet dreams." Mira still had that worried expression. Something told Erza that her best friend was going to watch over her for awhile. Though it was unnecessary, she thought it was pretty sweet.

"Like a strawberry cake..." Erza murmured to herself. And with that, she dozed off.

 **A/N:** **TADA! I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) Don't worry; I'm getting to the Jerza part VERY soon. See you next time! :P**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **A/N:** **Thank you for reading my previous chapters. It means a lot to me! :)**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

"Hahaha~! Oh Erza, you're killing me!" Lucy laughed harder than ever before.

Erza grinned. "Okay, okay, let's get back to work, shall we?"

Lucy is one of Erza's closest friends. They are currently sitting in F.T.U's café & lounge, creating a script for their upcoming play. Since Lucy was an exceptional writer who dreamed of becoming a journalist or an author, she was chosen to create the layouts for the script of the play. Of course, Erza was there to supervise her; considering that she was the student council president.

Lucy giggled. "If you insist..."

...

Lucy stretched. "It's been a long day. I'm so tired..."

Erza laughed. "Yeah... You can say that again," earning a nudge from Lucy.

"It's settled. I'm treating you to dinner tonight."

"What does treating me to dinner have to do with being tired?"

"Erza, do you really plan on cooking in your exhausted state?"

Erza smiled. "If you insist, but..."

"You can bring Mira along if you want," Lucy grinned back at Erza. "I have someone for you to meet."

"Really? Who?"

"You'll see."

...

"That sounds fun!" Mira exclaimed. "So, Lucy's back at her usual 'Girl's Night Out' plans, huh?"

Erza chuckled. "Even if that were to be true, why would she tell us last minute?"

"You've got a point..."

"Anyway, it must be important." Erza opened her cabinet. It was filled with clothes; all of them wanted wear.

"Erza, what should we wear for tonight's dinner date with Lucy?"

"Huh? Oh, I guess we should dress casually..."

...

In the end, Erza settled with a black shirt whose sleeves barely passed her elbows accompanied with a brown plaid skirt and black boots that reached her knees. To her surprise, Mira changed into a white T-shirt and jeans; her long, wavy white-blond hair bounced on her shoulders with each step she took.

"What's with your simplicity? The Mira I knew back then would usually think outside the box."

Mira laughed. "Well, Laxus doesn't really like it when other guys stare at me, so I go plain for less attention."

"I figured it would be something like that."

"Hey, can I do your hair?"

"A ponytail would be just fine."

...

An hour later, Erza and Mira stepped into the restaurant that Lucy had told them to go to. Its white walls were adorned with gold curtains that shimmered with grace. There was a chandelier that embellished the center of the ceiling; shining iridescently on the tabletops below it. Lucy spotted her friends, waved, and gestured them to come over to her table. It turned out Lucy had also invited Levy, Cana, and a petite girl with dark blue hair that they had never met before.

"Erza! Mira! It's great to see you!" Lucy exclaimed. She got up and pulled out two chairs for the pair.

"Thanks Lucy." They chorused. The blue-haired girl stared at Erza with great interest. Her brown orbs looked like they were about to pop out of her skull after a few seconds of staring. "How cute..." Thought Erza.

"Oh! I'm so sorry Erza and Mira... This here is Wendy Marvell; she's a freshman."

"Hi Wendy! I'm Mirajane. You can call me 'Mira' if you want, though."

"It's nice to meet you, Wendy. I'm Erza Scarlet." Erza held out her hand.

Wendy shyly took it and smiled. "U-um... Nice to meet you too, Erza-san and Mira-san."

They were all interrupted by a waiter, who took all their orders and promised them their food would be ready in about half an hour. In the meantime, the girls continued to bond with each other; Lucy was telling the girls about the upcoming play, Levy was telling them about her latest book report... The girls especially paid close attention to when Mirajane shared her nighttime routine secrets. Cana, however, kept herself busy with bottles of booze.

"Say...Mira, are you auditioning for the play?"

"Lucy, you know I wouldn't miss out on acting in a play you wrote!"

Erza laughed. "Of course, Mira has much more to it than that!"

"Speaking of acting..." Lucy smirked and turned to Erza. "Are you taking part in this year's play?"

This earned Lucy another chuckle from the redhead. "I don't think I have time this year. Besides, I'm already providing service as the director, remember?"

"Wow~ Erza-san is very talented." Wendy was staring at Erza with deep respect.

"Talents... Wendy, what brings you here at F.T.U?"

"Well..." Wendy put her finger to her lip. "Fairy Tail's medical program caught my eye. I wish to work somewhere in the medical field in the future."

"Wonderful. You have Professor Poluchka, I assume?"

"Yes! She's amazing..." Wendy began.

"And scary..." muttered Lucy.

"Well yes," Wendy shyly replied. "But she is a wonderful teacher-"

Wendy yelped. A man in a dark cloak had accidently tripped over the leg of her chair, and fell onto the floor; his arms shot in front of him to break his fall. "Ow..." he groaned. His fall caused the hat to slip off his head. Erza scanned the man who was now dusting himself and apologizing to Wendy; his most prominent features were his spiky blue hair and a red tattoo that covered the right side of his face above and below his eye. Could it really be him? "Don't be silly, Erza. You don't even know his name!" Erza thought. Or did she?

"Excuse me, miss."

Erza snapped out of her trace and looked up at the man's face. His olive-green eyes stared at her chocolate-brown orbs. "Um..." He politely pointed at the hat, which _somehow_ ended up on Erza's lap. "O-oh... Sorry." Erza handed the man his hat with care. She could hear her friends giggling behind her back; perhaps Wendy joined them.

"Thank you." The man turned and walked away.

Cana whistled. "What a hottie~"

"You're drunk!" Lucy slapped Cana's face a little harder than she intended to.

"Ouch! Erza, help! I'm being harassed; send her to the committee!" Cana joked. The girls laughed; all except for Erza.

"Oh lighten up, I was only kidding."

"That's not it, Cana. I'm just... thinking, that's all."

"Did it have something to do with the man from before, Erza-san?"

"Well..."

"Ooh~ Erza is actually thinking about a guy!" Levy chimed in.

Erza's cheeks flushed as red as the color of her hair and crossed her arms. "I am not!"

Mirajane pretended to gasp. "Oh my, Erza is blushing!"

"Mira!"

Judging by Erza's murderous looks, the girls decided to stop teasing her. Well... for now.

And so, the rest of their evening proceeded in silence. Lucy paid for the meal, the girls bid each other good-night, and headed back to their dorms in F.T.U.

...

Upon reaching their dorm room, Mirajane quickly changed into her nightwear and dozed off. Erza on the other hand, had a lot to think about that night.

 **A/N:** **I had a lot of time today to work on this chapter... I wish there were more days like this T-T. I'll try my best to post one chapter every few days once school resumes. Thanks for reading! ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **A/N:**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

Erza walked along the corridor on the second floor of Fairy Tail University. Ever since the encounter with that man, Erza hadn't been acting like her usual self; no matter how much she tried to hide it from her friends. Even principal Makarov noticed the sudden change of her behavior and insisted on talking about "god-knows-what" was bothering her in the past week. However, she declined his offer and persisted deal with her problems alone.

"Erza!"

Upon hearing Lucy's voice, Erza set her fork next to her strawberry cake and waved at Lucy. Lucy walked over to Erza's table and began to unpack her lunch.

"Where's Mirajane? Is anyone else sitting here?"

"Mira is sitting with Lisanna over there," Erza pointed to the far right of the cafeteria. "And no, well, Wendy was sitting here before but she had to leave early to help Professor Poluchka with something."

"That poor girl..." Lucy muttered.

Erza laughed. "Wendy seems to like her though."

"U-um... Erza?"

"Yes, Lucy?"

"About that guy from last week..."

Erza's heart sank. Why? Out of all times, why did Lucy bring this up? They were just having a normal conversation before...

"Lucy, I don't want to talk or think about it."

"Erza, please." Lucy slid closer to Erza, took her hand and gently squeezed it. "I'm doing this for your sake. I'm worried about you; everyone is. At least let me tell you for this much."

Erza's eyes widened. Tell? She wasn't going to ask her anything?

"Lucy, what are you-"

Lucy hushed Erza by putting a finger to her own lips. "Let me talk."

Erza looked down at her feet. "Okay."

Lucy took a deep breath. "The man you encountered last week... his name is Jellal Fernandes. I know him from my astronomy class. He's a transfer student from Paradise County-"

Erza's eyes widened. "So it really is him..." she muttered.

Lucy nudged Erza. "Sorry Lucy. Continue."

Lucy cleared her throat. "As I was saying, He's in my astronomy class, and we ended as partners for our current project."

"And?"

"And I guess he recognized me as your friend, so he told me to give this to you." Lucy pulled out an envelope from her purse. 'To Erza Scarlet' was written on the front in a neat, cursive form. As nice as it looked, Erza didn't want to read its contents.

"I can't." Erza gently pushed the letter away from her and moved away as if it were a disease.

Lucy was astounded. "Erza, this isn't like you. It's just a letter!"

"Really? I don't think anyone knows me well enough then."

Erza wished she could take these words back. She knew Lucy felt hurt; her facial expression displayed it all.

"I'm so sorry, Lucy. You're right, I haven't been acting like my usual self lately."

"It's okay, Erza... Are you sure you don't want the letter?"

Erza hesitated. After all, she _did_ apologize for her slip of tongue; she didn't want to make the situation as complicated as it already was.

"You know what... I'll take it." Erza gave Lucy a small smile and took the letter.

"You promise you'll read it?"

"I promise."

The rest of their lunch was completed with silence.

...

Back in her dorm room, Erza set the letter on her desk and stared at it. Jellal actually sent her a letter after all that he had done to her. After a few minutes of staring, Erza forced herself out of her trance.

"Come on Erza, it's just a letter..." Erza sighed. She tore open the letter and began to read:

 _Meet me outside the bakery where we first met tomorrow at 8 pm. It's your choice. -Jellal_

That was it? Erza flipped the paper over, only to discover a blank page. She tossed the letter aside and sighed. "That was quick..." she muttered.

The words of the letter she just read kept echoing in her head; should she go? Erza stared at the letter again. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest and the lightness in her head.

"Erza get a hold of yourself... This isn't the past." She shook her head. Erza didn't get it; after all that has happened, she still felt this way. Erza slid to the floor from her chair and brought her knees to her chest. For the second time in ages, she began to cry. "What's wrong with me?"

 **A/N:** **That's all, folks. I know how this is getting a bit repetitive but... Thank you for reading, and stay tuned!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **A/N:** **Sorry for the wait. :( Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

"Miss Scarlet, what are you doing?"

All heads turned to face Erza, who had her head down for the past few minutes.

Erza gave a sudden jerk of her head. "I'm so sorry Professor Gildarts... It won't happen again." Her face was turning red with embarrassment. She had never implied such disrespect to her teachers before.

Professor Gildarts sighed. "Anyway..."

Ever since Lucy delivered the message from Jellal to Erza, she couldn't think straight. To make things worse, she hadn't decided whether or not if she would meet him tonight.

"Erza?" Professor Gildarts stared at Erza with great confusion.

"Yes professor?"

"You still haven't answered my question."

"O-oh... sorry. Can you repeat it for me, please?"

"What factor has the greatest influence on the weathering rate of Earth's surface bedrock?"

"That would be regional climate, sir."

"Correct, but please pay attention next time so I don't have to repeat myself." And with that, he turned to the board and continued to lecture the class.

...

Back in her dorm room, Erza was wrapping up her homework when Mirajane arrived. It was 5:32 p.m; she still had time to ponder over the matter.

"I heard what happened to you in Earth Science class..."

"The rumor's out, huh?"

Mirajane turned to face Erza. "Is there something bothering you?"

"Mira, if that were the case, I would've told you by now."

Mirajane's eyes traced Erza's. "Alright, but if you need anything..."

"I know. Thanks."

Mirajane walked towards the couch, sat down, and opened up her laptop to start her assignments.

"Say... Mira, what would you do if an old acquaintance of yours wanted to meet up with you again?" She knew that she could always count on Mirajane when it came to socializing.

Mira looked up from her work and stared at Erza with great interest. "Why? Is this something to do with how you've been behaving this past week?"

"I guess you can say that..."

Mirajane laughed. "Well, I've never been in that kind of situation before, but I would definitely meet up with them."

"Is that so?... Thank you, Mira." Erza wasn't ready to tell Mira more than this. She couldn't drag her into her problems, after all.

That was when Erza decided to give it try, even though she already gave Jellal countless chances in the past.

...

Erza half-heartedly walked to the bakery. Despite it being her favorite place to order strawberry cake, she would have to meet the one person who caused her the most pain in the past...

When she arrived, she immediately spotted a man in a dark cloak. "That must be him." She muttered.

She didn't have to greet him; he had already spotted her. Jellal took a few steps towards Erza. "Hi..."

"What do you want, Jellal?" Erza asked this question with a bitter tone in her voice.

Jellal flinched. "Erza, I admit I've made many mistakes in my... no, _our_ past."

Erza didn't move, nor did she respond; her lip trembled. Although she strongly disliked him for what he had done to her many years ago, she couldn't help but notice that his voice was full of guilt. It made her feel sorry for him.

"Let's go inside; it's getting cold out here... And you owe me an explanation." Her eyes avoided his.

Once inside the bakery, they seated themselves across from each other; Erza ordered a strawberry cake, and Jellal ordered a cup of coffee. They sat in silence for awhile and continued to avoid eye contact.

"So... about that letter..."

"Yeah... Sorry for being so vague."

"Actually, it's the opposite... Thank you for inviting me over; to be honest," Erza began to lower her voice, and a light shade of red tinted her cheeks. "I don't understand it myself, but... I've actually wanted to see you ever since we went our separate ways..."

Jellal looked down at his knees and noticed how much his palms were sweating. He looked up at Erza and noticed that tears began to form in her eyes. He grabbed a tissue and gently wiped her tears away.

"Sorry."

"Anyway," Erza stared at Jellal as if nothing happened; her expression was passive. "Simon told me his side of the story. I want to know yours."

Jellal gulped. So this was it. He began to tell Erza his side of the story.

...

 _It has been a year since Jellal saved Erza from Ultear's "torture tactics". They have been best friends ever since. Jellal introduced Erza to his friends; Simon, Wally, Sho, and Milliana. They were very pleased to meet each other; Erza hang out with them ever since._

 _After awhile, they began to fall for each other. Then came the senior dance. Jellal asked Erza if he could be her date, in which she joyfully accepted. They were now more than just best friends._

 _One day, while everyone was heading back into the school building towards the end of recess, Ultear came out of the blue and asked Jellal to come with her. Erza was worried; what was she planning?_

 _"Don't worry, I'll be fine." His smile was enough to reassure her._

 _"Let's go, Er-chan!" Milliana called._

 _"You guys can go on without me. I'll stay here and wait for Jellal. Little did she know what Ultear had up her sleeve..._

 _"What is it, Ultear?"_

 _"You know what I want. I have a bone to pick with you too, I suppose."_

 _Jellal rolled his eyes. "Enough talk. My friends are waiting."_

 _Ultear smirked. "Oh, you won't be calling them your 'friends' anymore once I'm through with you."_

 _"What are you-"_

 _Ultear pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and held it up so that he could see. Jellal recognized it at once; it was an old Valentine's Day card he had written to his mother; only that it hadn't been addressed to her, since she was dead._

 _"How did you get your hands on that?"_

 _"Guess what I'm about to do with this?" Ultear cooed, and completely ignored Jellal's question._

 _"Don't tell me... You wench!" Jellal snarled, and attempted to lunge forward, only to be stopped by Meredy and another one of Ultear's cronies._

 _Ultear laughed. "That's right! I'm going to make Erza think that you're cheating on her!"_

 _"You... son of a..."_

 _"Oh come on, it's YOUR fault for not addressing this card to anyone in the first place," Ultear sneered. "Before I let you go, however, I need you to do something for me..."_

 _"I'm not doing anything for you."_

 _"Oh really?" Ultear sighed. "Oh well, I guess I'll have to send this letter to Erza after all!"_

 _"No!"_

 _"Yes," Ultear cackled. "Unless you'll do as I say."_

 _Jellal winced. He had no idea what Ultear was up to, but if it were to protect his and Erza's relationship, he would do anything._

 _"I accept the conditions." He replied in a low voice._

 _"Good... Now, I want you to tell Erza that you'll be taking ME to the dance, not her," Ultear chuckled. "And make sure you sound like you mean it."_

 _Jellal shivered. "I can't!"_

 _"Oh, you will. Remember, if you don't, I'm sending the letter. You are dismissed."_

 _Meredy and the other girl released Jellal and ran after their leader, leaving Jellal to think about his actions._

 _"There you are!" Erza sighed with relief when she saw Jellal walking towards her. Despite this, he looked down. "Jellal?"_

 _"Erza," He inhaled. "Forget about what I said to you about the dance."_

 _"W-what do you mean? Jellal, are you alright?" Erza attempted to ask._

 _"GO FIND SOMEONE ELSE!" Jellal screamed. He immediately regretted yelling at her this way._

 _Tears slid down Erza's cheeks, and she started to run._

 _"I'm sorry, Erza..."_

 **A/N:** **To be continued...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

"How do I know if you're lying?"

"You don't have to believe me; I'm not begging for your forgiveness."

Erza stared at the ground in silence. "I don't think doing what Ultear said made a difference... She gave me the letter."

Jellal was astounded. "She did?"

"Yes. I didn't believe her at first when she told me that you asked her out, so she showed me the letter... and it was in your handwriting, so..."

"Damn it," Jellal's teeth clenched. "If only she didn't get left back a grade and graduated sooner. All of this wouldn't have happened!" He noticed how Erza looked as if she was about to cry. "I'm so sorry-"

The waiter arrived and set their items on the table. Erza reached for her purse, but Jellal was quicker to hand the waiter the money for the meal. Jellal smiled at Erza as the waiter walked away. "I see your friend returned your purse."

"Yeah, thanks."

They sat in silence for awhile; Jellal sipped some of his coffee. However, Erza remained rooted in the same position; surprisingly, she wasn't in the mood for strawberry cake.

"Is there something wrong?"

Erza looked up at a now concerned Jellal. "No, I was just thinking..."

Jellal sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't tell you enough, I guess. Is that it?"

Erza smiled. "For some reason, you always know what I'm thinking." Hearing this made Jellal smile back.

"Some point after we graduated from elementary, Ultear and I ended up in the same middle school, same class. She kept acting as if we were a couple. Don't get me wrong, I never liked her in that way, but she kept threatening me that she would find and hurt you if I didn't do what she asked of me. I've never... felt so... confused..." Jellal buried his face into his hands, and Erza moved her chair closer to him; it was her turn to comfort him.

"Thank you," he said as he wiped his pre-developed tears. "Anyway, Ultear got arrested sometime around our first year in high school; for 3 years, they said. I visited her every once in awhile, just out of pity. I think she has learned her lesson by now..."

"That's good to hear. Do you know where she is now?"

Jellal looked nervous. "Actually..."

Erza frowned. Somthing was not right. "You can tell me. I'm here for you."

Jellal calmed down and looked into Erza's eyes. He couldn't explain it, but looking at Erza was enough to assuage the tension he felt inside of himself.

He took a deep breath. "Ultear transferred to F.T.U with me; Meredy too."

Erza was shocked. "They did?!"

"Erza, she changed. If someone were to meet her the way she is now, you would've never guessed that she was-"

Erza put a finger to his lips, and he stopped talking. "Jellal, I'm not upset about Ultear or Meredy transferring to Fairy Tail. I'm just... Well, it's shocking, that's all," Erza paused. "What does she major in?"

"Horology."

Erza and Jellal smiled at each other. They both knew Ultear had an obsession with clocks and time in general.

"You know, I'd like to see Ultear sometime..."

"Really? I can arrange that. Is Saturday okay with you?"

"I don't know... I'll have to check my schedule. I'm quite busy these days."

"That's fine," Jellal smiled. "I suppose you'll need my number; call me when you find out when you're free."

"O-of course!" Erza blushed as they exchanged numbers.

"Seriously though, when do you plan on finishing that cake of yours?"

...

Jellal opened and held the door for Erza as they walked out of the bakery.

"You know, the way you've been acting this evening made it seem as if all of that drama never happened." They continued to walk along the sidewalk, not knowing where they would end up.

"I wish it never did," Jellal looked at Erza with sadness in his eyes. "Ever since I was under Ultear's influence, I felt pressured. I wish I can take all of it back... I would do anything to start over."

"Jellal..."

Jellal shook his head. "I'm sorry. The past is the past; nothing can change that. I wouldn't blame you if you hate me..."

At this point, they reached a park and sat down on the nearest bench; Jellal dusted Erza's seat before they sat.

"Jellal, I don't hate you... it's actually the opposite. I've been yearning to to see you; I didn't realize it at first, but..."

"Erza," Jellal breathed. "I-" He was stopped, yet again, by Erza's finger.

"Look." Erza pointed at a bright star in the clear night sky. It looked much brighter and shinier compared to the others. She knew Jellal would be pleased to see this.

Jellal's eyes immediately lit up. They watched the stars twinkle for a few minutes. "So you remembered, Erza."

Jellal felt Erza's head fall onto his shoulder, and looked down. Erza's chocolate brown orbs gazed into his green ones. "I wish there were more times like this..." she whispered.

"Erza..."

Their lips began to move closer and closer, and before they knew it, they were kissing. It was slow and passionate; however, it ended as quickly as it started. Jellal pulled away in shock, leaving a rather surprised, yet disappointed Erza staring at him.

"I'm sorry Erza, but this is wrong... I've done horrible things to you."

Erza's heart sank. "It's fine," she said, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice. "I understand." No, it wasn't fine, and Erza knew it. Why couldn't they be together? Hell, Jellal was being manipulated this whole time!

"It's getting late; we should head back." Jellal stood up and took Erza's hand. They walked back to F.T.U in silence.

Upon arriving in the dorm halls in F.T.U, Jellal escorted her back to her room, where they bid each other good-night. Jellal watched her as she stepped through the door. She turned around and glanced at the man she fell for again. How did she not notice that she was in love with him this whole time? Did he feel the same way?

Just as Erza closed and locked the door, she heard his footsteps dying away. She turned and noticed that Mirajane was already asleep. Thank goodness she wasn't awake; otherwise she would've questioned her about her visit with Jellal!

She held the piece of paper that Jellal's number was written to her heart.

"This is not our last encounter..." she murmured..

 **A/N:** **I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review; I would love to hear from others for feedback, suggestions, or simply hearing your opinion helps! Thanks ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 **A/N:** **Back to school T-T I've been very busy with homework lately; I'm sorry :( I'll try to update once or twice a week.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

"Jellal?"

"Hello? Who's this?"

"It's me, Erza."

Jellal laughed. How could he have forgotten? "Sorry. So... have you thought about it?"

"Saturday is fine, as you said."

"What time do you have in mind?"

There was a short pause over the phone line. "Is 2:30 okay with you?"

"That's fine. Ultear says that maybe it's best to meet up at an ice cream parlor on Strawberry Street. We have a surprise for you."

"O-okay... See you then." Jellal smirked. How cute...

"Bye."

...

Once she ended the call, Erza slid down in her chair. She felt her face burning as she lowered her phone. Ever since the kiss, Erza was extra cautious while traveling to her classes; she especially pretended as if he wasn't there even if they were walking in the same corridor. After two days time, she finally had the guts to call him.

"Calm down, Erza." she told herself. Then again, Ultear would be there. Did she really change? Will she be able to forgive her? Questions continued to overflow her brain the more she thought about her. Erza's head ached. Perhaps it was best to take a nap for now.

...

The next day, Erza woke up with a clear mind and, of course, an empty stomach.

"Morning, Erza. You slept well last night, I see." Erza whipped her head around to see Mirajane grinning down at her.

"Mira!" Erza sighed. "Geez, don't scare me like that..."

Mirajane chuckled. "What? Can't I worry about you for once, _Titania_?"

"Mira, stop-" Erza was forced to pause upon hearing the sound of her own stomach.

"Looks like Titania's hungry~"

Erza flushed. "Shut up!"

...

Mirajane looked up from reading her texts. "Erza, where are you going?"

Erza was about to step through the door in a navy blue sweater, a pair of jeans, and of course, her purse.

"I have to meet someone." No, she couldn't tell Mirajane about Jellal yet. If Mirajane ever found out that Erza was meeting with a guy, she would do everything in her power to get them together because of Erza's social awkwardness. She sighed. Then again, she already knew what Jellal's answer would be.

"Okay. See you later." Surprisingly, Mirajane didn't question Erza. She stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind her, and set off for Strawberry Street.

...

A few blocks away from her destination, Erza noticed a tall, well-built figure leaning against the wall of the ice cream parlor. As she walked closer to him, he smiled and stood up to greet her.

"I wasn't expecting you to be this early," Jellal grinned even wider. "Ultear isn't here yet."

"O-oh, that's right..." Erza blushed. Damn... she knew she forgot about something important.

"What's wrong?" Jellal took her hand. "Nervous?"

"In a lot of ways..." Erza blushed. "I'm actually more nervous about being around you more than meeting Ultear again."

It was Jellal's turn to blush. "I'm sorry. It's my fault... I shouldn't have kissed you that night. I'm truly sorry, Erza-"

"There's no need for an apology."

"But-"

"No 'buts'. I..." Erza's face was beginning to match the color of her hair. She stood on her toes to reach Jellal's ear and whispered. "I enjoyed it..." Jellal's eyes widened. She enjoyed it? What should he do? Should he reciprocate, or punish himself. Happiness wasn't an option for him; Erza deserved better. Well, in his opinion, that is.

"Erza, I-" With Jellal's luck, Ultear appeared.

"Hello Jellal."

"Ultear!" Jellal immediately let go of Erza's hand, much to Erza's dismay.

Ultear laughed and Erza stared at her, aghast. This wasn't one of Ultear's mean cackles. This time, her laugh was full of warmth and passion. Ultear noticed Erza's presence and smiled at her. "Long time no see, Erza."

Erza's lip trembled. So this is what time in prison had done to Ultear. She had an almost unrecognizable personality. Jellal was right; Ultear really had changed. She felt Jellal tugging on her sleeve. "What did I tell you?"

Erza took a deep breath and managed to form a smile with her lips. "It's nice to see you again, Ultear."

The trio then entered the ice cream parlor and ordered a cone each and sat down at the table in the back of the room.

"Erza, I deeply apologize for what I've done to you and Jellal in the past. I don't know if you'll forgive me, but I'll accept any decision you make. From here on out, I'm in your debt." Ultear bowed her head in shame.

"Ultear... I forgave you ever since Jellal told me his side of the story. Please don't feel responsible. The past is the past. Let's move forward; together. That's Fairy Tail's motto."

They smiled at each other. "I couldn't have said it any better than myself." Jellal said as he reached for Erza's hand and gently squeezed it.

"Speaking of Fairy Tail, we have a surprise for you, Erza." Ultear gave Jellal the 'we-should-probably-tell her-now' face.

"Erza, I hope this doesn't upset you, but... we want to start a club in F.T.U.; if you don't mind."

"What for?"

"Well," Ultear wiped a smudge of chocolate ice cream off the corner of her lip. "It's for atonement. You know; to make up what we have done in the past. It was Jellal's idea. We asked Principal Makarov already, but he says that we have to ask the student council president first, and then fill out paperwork to establish it."

"And its name?"

"We're going to call it Crime Sorciere."

This wasn't the surprise that Erza was expecting. "Is this what you really want? You guys didn't really commit actual crimes though... "

"Absolutely." They chorused.

They sat in silence for awhile, until Ultear coughed.

"So... How are you? I wouldn't be surprised if you and Jellal are together again." Ultear winked, earning blushes from the bluenette and the redhead.

"A-actually..." Jellal started.

"...we're not dating," finished Erza.

Ultear nearly dropped her ice cream. "Are you kidding me?!"

Jellal and Erza shook their heads. Ultear sighed. "Erza, I know how I ruined your relationship with Jellal in the past, but please don't blame him. It wasn't entirely his fault; I was the one who manipulated him the whole time."

Erza was about to speak, but Jellal beat her for chance to do so. "Ultear, you may have forgotten that the reason behind our club is for _atonement_. I've hurt Erza way too much, and I don't deserve her."

This wasn't the response that Erza had anticipated. She stared at the ground and didn't utter a word to agree or confict with his statement. Was this how he really felt?

Ultear sighed in defeat. "It pains me to see how torn you people are. However, I'll respect your decisions. Restarting your relationship or maintaining a mutual friendship is entirely up to you."

...

Once they finished eating their ice cream, Ultear insisted on paying the bill, whereas Jellal and Erza initially refused, but finally gave in when Ultear mentioned that it was one for the policies for atonement in Crime Sorciere. And with that, they bid each other good-bye.

Ultear waited until Erza was out of sight. "Seriously, what's wrong with you?"

Jellal was stunned by Ultear's sudden outburst. "What's with you all of a sudden?"

"Jellal, you deserve to be happy with Erza. I can't believe you pulled off a stunt like _that_!"

"Like what?"

"Our club's purpose is for atonement," Ultear crossed her arms. "But you're taking it too far."

"I thought you said you respected my decisions." Jellal muttered.

"I did, but haven't you noticed that Erza is heads over heels for _you_? I don't think she cares about what you've done in the past anymore!"

"I care. I have feelings too, Ultear."

"Apparently, you don't. If you did, you would've accepted Erza's love in the first place!"

Hold on a second... did she know about what they just did? Only one way to find out...

"How did you know that we kissed?"

"I didn't," Ultear giggled. "But you just told me."

Damn it.

 **A/N:** **Again, I apologize for the late update. Please review! Until then; see you next time!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 **A/N:** **Homework is stopping me from writing fanfics :( Sorry for the wait (again.) T-T**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

Erza sipped on her coffee and continued to type her report on her laptop, with Jellal sitting beside her as he breezed through his calculus assignments. Erza didn't plan on bringing Jellal to the student lounge with her, but he ended up tagging along anyway.

"You know, you didn't have to come here to work on your homework with me," Erza muttered.

Jellal paused with his work and stared at Erza. "Am I bothering you? If you don't like it, I could always go back to my dorm room."

Erza sighed. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just... I don't usually do my homework with my friends. It feels different."

"O-oh..."

They sat in silence for awhile, each focusing on their own thing. Jellal was the first to finish and decided to wait for Erza to catch up.

"You can go back if you want. It'll take awhile for me to finish this." Erza pointed at her work.

"It's fine. I have nothing better to do anyway."

Erza laughed. "Alright then _Mr. Patience_ , prepare yourself!" She poked Jellal's cheek and continued to type and titter.

Jellal moved his right hand over his cheek. What was this familiar sensation? Oh right... when they were 'dating' way back then, Erza would usually poke him in the cheek whenever she was amused by his demeanor. This gesture made his stomach flutter. He wondered if Erza still had a thing for him. Despite this, he had promised himself not to get involved with her in any romantic way. Plus, he wasn't so sure if Erza had forgiven him completely, considering the things he had done to her before.

...

It was getting dark; Erza was still typing her report. However, Jellal still didn't admit 'defeat'. Was he devoted or stubborn? Erza chuckled. From her perspective, it could've been both.

She looked to her right and noticed that Jellal was sound asleep in the chair beside her. His blue hair covered bits of his face. She brushed it aside, causing Jellal to flinch and mouth words that she couldn't make out. Not that it mattered at the moment, anyway. She then continued with her work.

...

Not long after Erza brushed his hair aside, Jellal's eyes fluttered and scanned the redhead, who was still working. How long had he been asleep?

"Good morning, sleepy-head. How was your nap?"

Jellal flushed with embarrassment. "Who are you kidding? I wasn't sleeping."

"Sure..." Erza chuckled in reply. "I'm fresh out of ideas for this report, so I'm stopping here for today. Want to go grab something to eat?"

"I'd like that."

...

"Erza, you've been going out a lot lately. Did something happen?" Mirajane looked up from her book and stared at Erza with great interest.

"Nothing's wrong Mira, I promise you. I just need some fresh air, that's all."

"Okay, see you later then."

Erza opened the door and bumped into a tall figure that stood beyond it and yelped. Jellal jumped backwards. "Sorry Erza, I-"

"No, it's fine... What are you doing here?"

Just then, Mirajane came into Jellal's view. "What in the name of Mavis is going on here?" Mira's eyes darted from Erza to Jellal, to and fro.

"Oho!~ So this is what you meant by 'fresh air', right Erza?" Mirajane nudged Erza with a smirk plastered across her face. Erza face nearly matched the color of her hair. "Mira, it isn't like that!"

Mirajane chuckled. "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Who cares; I see it all!" It was scary enough how Mirajane pieced together the situation within seconds, but it was more fearsome to see Mirajane's devilish gleaming eyes; she was obviously formulating several case scenarios of how this situation would play out. That damned demon...

"I'm so sorry, Jellal. I didn't properly introduce you both. This is my best friend, Mirajane Strauss. Mira, this is my old friend Jellal Fernandes."

"Hello, Jellal. I'm Mirajane; you can call me Mira, though." She held out her hand and Jellal took it. "It's nice to meet you too, Mirajane."

Mirajane threw Jellal an innocent smile. "Erza has told me _so_ much about you!"

"No, I most certainly didn't."

Mirajane grinned wider. "Oh Erza, don't be shy. There's no need to hide anything from your boyfriend."

Boyfriend? Jellal raised his eyebrow and looked at Erza, who merely shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay, that's enough Mira."

"Aww... But I want to know more about your relationship!"

"MIRA!"

Jellal, currently watching them argue, put his hand over his mouth to hide his smile. Boy, Erza had changed so much. He remembered what she was like in elementary school; scarlet hair covering her face, introvert, and socially awkward. Now... she made friends all by herself without him around. She had changed alright; except for the fact that she was still indeed a bit nervous around people.

He chuckled and looked at the watch on his wrist. Noticing the time, he walked up to Mirajane and Erza. "Pardon the intrusion Mira, but Erza and I have to take our leave."

"Of course," Mirajane smirked and gently pushed Erza into the arms of Jellal. He looked down at Erza, flustered. Jellal quickly let go of Erza and apologized.

"Now, have fun on your date with Jellal, Erza!"

"It's not a date!"

Jellal took Erza's hand. "We better get going. I reserved a spot and I don't want to be la-"

Mirajane laughed. "Not a date, huh?" Mirajane began to push them out the door. "You'd best get going now. Have fun!" Mirajane took no time to close the door before Erza could refute; leaving an astounded Jellal and angry Erza on the other side.

"I'm sorry about my friend's behavior. Damn... I'll settle things with her when we get back. Anyhow..." Erza turned to face Jellal. They smiled at each other. "Let's go!"

 **A/N:** **Thank you for reading. Reviews are always welcome. See you next time! 3**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 **A/N:** **Long chapter alert. Just saying.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

Another day in F.T.U indeed. Erza was still working on her assignments that she didn't finish the day before. If only she had finished. It was totally worth it though; she had the most amazing evening of her life. Last night, she spent some quality time with the man she fell in love with; it was a shame that their time together wasn't spent in a romantic way, but it was still worthwhile.

There was an abrupt knocking sound at the door. Erza pushed the laptop off her lap and headed towards the door, turned the knob, and opened the it ever so slightly to see Lucy and Wendy standing beyond the walls that separated them.

"Hello, Erza-san. We're very sorry to disturb you but..." Wendy turned pink. "Um..."

Erza noticed that Lucy also wore an expression filled with concern. "Come in and sit down. We'll talk from there."

The duo entered Erza's dorm, sat, and gave their thanks.

"What is it?" Erza stared at Lucy with a worried expression. "Did something happen?"

Lucy groaned. "If I tell you, do you promise not to flip out?"

Erza's eyes narrowed. A promise? Now that doesn't sound very promising.

"I can't make promises that I can't keep."

Lucy shuddered in fear. "Alright then..." Lucy reached behind her back and pulled out the latest issue of F.T.U's newspaper: 'Sorcerer Weekly'.

"Did you read it yet, Erza-san?"

"No, I haven't." Erza was starting to grow worried. What exactly did the publishers write about this time?

Lucy reluctantly handed the paper to Erza. Erza scanned the document carefully. There. Her eyes were glued to one specific section: 'Titania's Secret Heartache.' Erza opened up to that specific page and scanned the article. Sure enough, her eyes were drawn to a picture of her and Jellal from their most recent night out together. Erza was laughing in the photo with a grinning Jellal sitting across from her. Despite her rage, she felt her heart flutter in delight; they really did look as if they were a couple. If only they were... okay, enough. Her mind snapped back into reality.

"You've. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me," Erza managed to say between her clenched teeth. Lucy and Wendy looked like as if they were ready to run any second now.

Erza slammed her fist onto the coffee table, causing Lucy and Wendy to jolt. "Just who do these assholes think they are?"

Lucy trembled in fear. "I don't know. It doesn't even have the name of the author on the article. I've checked more than a gazillion times."

"Erza-san, Lucy-san told me that you, the president of the student council, and principal Makarov need to approve of the magazine before it is even published. It seems to me as if you had no idea until we showed you." Wendy covered her mouth; she had said too much. "I'm sorry!"

Erza shook her head. "No, you hit the nail on the head. I was wondering why I didn't receive the draft form from Jason... and I'm quite surprised that he would allow an article to be published without an author's name. It doesn't sit right."

Lucy stood up. "There's only one way to find out."

"Yes." Erza stood up, followed by Wendy.

...

"What?!" Jason was shaking in shock in fear. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

Erza crossed her arms. "If it wasn't you who published this week's issue... Who did?"

"I d-don't know!"

"Bullshit! Why didn't I receive the draft from you yesterday?"

Jason scratched his chin. "I was planning on emailing the draft to you today, because the magazine wasn't completed the day before. Unfortunately, there was some difficulty with the document that was supporting it."

"Well-"

Wendy tugged on Erza's arm. "Erza-san, I think that's enough. Lucy-san has something to tell you."

Lucy took a step forward. "Erza, I looked at the magazine again, and I've come to a realization."

"Go on."

"This isn't the certified Sorcerer Weekly! That's way Jason didn't know about it until we came along." Lucy beamed and turned to Jason. "Isn't that right, senpai?"

Jason nodded his head. "If I knew about it, I would've kept a record of this issue."

"This is the better part though," Lucy continued. "It is likely that there are only 6 copies of this magazine that were ever printed!"

"Are you serious?" Erza took the fake magazine out of Lucy's hands and looked at the bottom corner. Sure enough, it read: 'Page 1 of 30.'

"That's our Lucy! Way to go! Cool!" Jason cheered.

"Something still bothers me though..." Lucy turned to Erza. "Why would the author use the name of our magazine? Besides, it wasn't that hard to figure out that this is a fake. They didn't use Jason's 'special' paper, nor did they have the number of pages the actual magazine would usually hold. Our magazine usually has twenty or so pages, but this one appears to only have five."

"Special paper?"

"Well, it's to differentiate our magazine from others." Lucy sent a wink to Jason. "Thanks to that, we know it's a fake!"

"Lucy-san, what if the people who have the other five documents make more copies?"

Hearing this made Erza tense, and returned to her worried state. "Damn it."

"I'm sorry," Wendy covered her face in embarrassment "I hope I'm wrong, Erza-san."

...

There was a loud knock on Jellal's door. He reluctantly stood up and walked towards the noise and opened it. "What-"

Jellal stopped dead in his tracks and noticed that there was a magazine lying on the floor in front of him. He looked around in bewilderment, and checked the dorm room halls for any possible culprit of dropping it in front of his door. He proceeded to pick up the packet and studied its cover page. "What the hell?"

...

Erza stood in front of principal Makarov's office, knocked, and waited for the door to open. Principal Makarov peeped through the door and identified the young woman to be none other than Erza Scarlet.

"Erza! Come in, come in!" He opened the door wider for Erza to pass through. Erza smiled and thanked him for his courtesy. Principal Makarov gestured for Erza to sit down, and she lowered herself onto a velvet chair.

"Would you like some coffee?"

"No, it won't be necessary," Erza smiled. "Thank you."

Principal Makarov smiled at Erza. "I see you've been doing well for the past few weeks since you've been-" Makarov coughed. "...'acting up.'"

"I apologize for my behavior." Erza bowed her head in embarrassment. "I just wanted to deal with my problems on my own."

"There's a reason why we value comrades, family, you name it, in our college. I assume that you have this drilled into your head by now, no?" Erza smiled and nodded; she couldn't agree less.

Makarov sighed. "My dear, you've always been so tough on yourself. Please try and loosen up a bit-"

"Sir," Erza didn't mean to interrupt, but this kind of talk wasn't what she had in mind. Makarov silently laughed to himself. "Sorry, I guess I got carried away. What's on your mind?"

"Well," Erza laughed. "There's so much I'd like to discuss, I don't even know where to start! You see, this morning, Lucy and Wendy appeared out of the blue and presented this to me," Erza held out the magazine to the principal, who eagerly stretched out his hand. "Yes! I was wondering why our school magazine wasn't pub-"

Erza coughed. Makarov abruptly paused. "Sorry Miss Scarlet. Carry on."

"What I'm trying to say is, this isn't the real deal."

"It isn't?" Makarov scanned the document. "No wonder why it looks so different this time."

...

Jellal sat on his dorm room sofa cross-legged and stared that the magazine he had found this morning. Sorcerer Weekly? This was a first. He tossed the magazine to his right. What was the point of reading something that didn't belong to him? He didn't even know how it ended up in front of his room in the first place!

An unexpected knock resounded beyond the door to snap Jellal out of his thoughts. He groaned. What could it be this time?

He reluctantly stood, stretched, and walked towards the door to open it. When he did, he was face to face with Cobra.

"Erik."

"Don't call me that." Cobra scowled. "Anyway, I thought you'd want to see this." He proceeded to pull out a magazine from him bag.

"Wha- How did you- Where did you get that from?" Jellal's tongue tripped over his words.

Cobra raised his eyebrow and thrust the magazine into the confused man's arms. "School magazine. Read it." Cobra turned and left Jellal gaping at the magazine in his hands.

...

"What's that you're reading?"

Erza jolted in surprise and dropped the fake magazine onto the floor. She looked up and saw Mirajane walking towards her. "Mira!"

Mirajane bent over to pick up the magazine and and glanced at its cover. "Ooh~ I've been waiting for the lastest issue to-"

"It's a fake."

"Come again?"

Before Erza could reply, there were several knocks at their door. "Oi! Erza!" She grumbled and marched towards the door. Sure enough, it was Natsu, Gray and Lucy.

"Erza, I read the latest issue. Your heart hurts?"

Gray performed a face palm and Lucy proceeded to slap him. "Idiot!"

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"For being so dense!"

"ENOUGH." Lucy and Natsu stopped bickering as soon as Erza yelled at them and fell silent.

Erza sighed. "Look, I appreciate your concern, but the principal has it all under control. Now, if you'll excuse me, I-"

Erza stopped talking and saw Jellal approaching them.

Lucy nervously glanced over her shoulder to see him as well. "Jellal?"

"Jellal! Fight me!" Natsu roared. He launched his fist at his face, only to miss by a few inches as a result of Jellal's commodity to dodge. "Hey!"

"Sorry Natsu, I have no time for your antics. I need to speak with Erza; alone."

Before Natsu could protest, Lucy and Gray had already started to drag Natsu down the hall, away from their friends.

"Erza, did you read this week's article on Sorcerer Weekly?"

Erza's heart sank. Shit.

"Yeah... About that-"

"Look, I-"

"Jellal, Let me explain. That," Erza pointed at the magazine in Jellal's hand. "Is not the certified edition of Sorcerer Weekly."

"What?"

"It's a fake," Erza repeated in a more serious tone. "The thing is, we don't know who published it either."

Jellal was too shocked to speak. "I-I see..."

Finally relieved of her worries, Erza smiled and began to close the door, only to be stopped by Jellal's hand. She looked up and gazed into his eyes. She blushed. "What is it now?"

"When is this play of yours?"

"Pardon me?"

"You know, the play you're directing?"

"O-oh." Erza looked away in embarrassment. "Next month."

"No, the tryouts."

"Huh? _You_ want to try out?"

"Maybe," he snickered. Actually, he wanted to see Erza command people and found it quite attractive.

"It's tomorrow. Well... See you then." Erza proceeded to close the door once Jellal removed his hand.

Tryouts are tomorrow. Erza is the director. What could be more amusing than this? Jellal smiled, still holding the magazine. Looking down at it cast a frown on his lips. If only he knew who wrote this damned paper. "Bastards..." Jellal shook his head, tucked the paper into his left pocket, and walked back to his dorm room.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 **A/N:** **A section of this chapter is based on chapter 70 of the Fairy Tail manga series (episode 30 for the anime). There's a twist to it though. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

Erza anxiously tapped her index finger on the arm of her chair. Most students who were auditioning for the play were already here, yet she was still waiting for a blonde who was unusually late. After all, Lucy was in charge of the scripts. There is no way for the auditions to start without the screenplay!

"Hey."

"You're late. Do you realize how-"

"Really? I got here on time; 3:00 I recall..."

Something wasn't right; this wasn't Lucy. This person's voice was deeper... hold it.

Erza whipped her head around to face Jellal, who grinned down at her. She mentally face palmed herself. How did she not notice whose voice this was sooner?

"O-oh. I'm sorry, Jellal. I thought-"

"It's okay," Jellal laughed, amused by her behavior. Jellal stopped laughing when he noticed Erza's lips curved into a frown. "Is there something wrong?"

"I- no, it's nothing. I'm just waiting for Lucy. We can't start without her."

"No kidding." A new voice peeked through their conversation. Erza turned her head, this time facing Lucy. "I'm so sorry, Erza! I was delayed by Natsu's behavior."

"Natsu, huh? Remind me to teach him a lesson later."

Lucy giggled. "That won't be necessary. Shall we get started?"

...

"Let's take it from the top once more!" Erza called out to the students on stage. Lucy sat beside her, taking notes on how well they were performing. Jellal, having told Erza that he was only there to watch, sat at her left.

Evergreen scowled and folded her arms. "But we were perfect, Erza!"

"Being perfect is manly!" Elfman bellowed.

"Shut up, you're not helping!"

"Evergreen, you're not helping your chances of playing the role as princess Yanderica!" Lucy yelled. "Just do as Erza pleases. Take your places once more."

Evergreen directed her glare at Erza, who merely laughed at her behavior.

Soon enough, it was Mirajane's turn.

"Please save me, Frederick-sama! I've been captured by Seinhart!"

It wasn't surprising that Mira played her part with ease. Lucy scribbled positive notes on her clipboard and continued to watch on with interest.

Not having to say anything, Freed remained still. This was Gray's cue.

"My name is Julius!" Gray declared as he walked onto the stage. "If you want to save the princess, you will have to defeat me," Much to everyone's confusion.

"Whoa, hold on," Lucy shouted. "Gray, the script says _Seinhart_ , not Julius!"

"Ah, really?" Gray looked at the script again. "My bad!"

Erza could've sworn that she heard Juvia mumbling something about Lucy being her 'love rival.' She chuckled, but was interrupted by Jellal's touch.

"I have to admit though; Julius _does_ sound better than Seinhart."

"Is that so?" Erza smiled and tapped on Lucy's shoulder. "Hey, Lucy, do you mind if you change Seinhart's name to Julius? It's quite appealing according to what I've heard." Erza winked at Jellal.

...

Ultear sighed. "Meredy, look."

Meredy looked up from her work and stared at Ultear in surprise. "What is it, Ul?"

Ultear laughed. "Please don't call me that. Get a load of _this_." Ultear held up the fake Weekly Sorcerer magazine and pointed at one of the headlines: Titania's Secret Heartache.

Meredy gawked at the paper in the raven-haired woman's hand. "This is too good to be true!"

Ultear nodded. "I know, right? But... the thing is, why would they publish such a thing?"

"Beats me," Meredy strugged. "Maybe it's because Erza has a good reputation here?"

"Possibly. However, I think there's much more to it than that. I doubt that a reporter would make the mistake as spelling Jellal's name as 'Gerard'. It doesn't sit right... and I've never seen a magazine so short before!"

...

"I feel like I'm going to faint any moment now," Lucy mumbled as she stepped out of F.T.U's theatre with Jellal and Erza.

Erza nodded her head in agreement. "This year's auditions didn't run as smoothly as the year before. Especially because _Evergreen_ was there." Erza tried to inject enough poison into the woman's name.

Jellal laughed. "What's wrong with Evergreen?"

"I don't find it very amusing, Jellal." Erza huffed.

"Erza's right. Evergreen has been harassing her since day one!" Lucy frowned. "She wants her title."

"Title?" Jellal inched closer towards the girls. He was interested.

Lucy smiled and winked at Erza, earning a tickled-pink blush from her. "I suppose that an explanation of why people here call Erza 'Titania' will have to wait."

"Titania... doesn't that mean 'Queen of the Fairies'?"

Lucy nodded her head. It all made sense to him now.

"I see... it suits you, Erza."

Erza didn't answer Jellal, obviously deep in thought. Evergreen... did she have something to do with the magazine article? After all, she always poked her nose into Erza's business; in hopes of ruining her image of course.

Before they knew it, the trio was standing in front of Erza's door.

"Here," Erza handed over her notes to Lucy. "I hope this'll help you make your final decisions."

"You didn't have to take notes with me, Erza," Lucy smiled and accepted the papers. "Thank you."

Lucy walked off, leaving Jellal and Erza alone. Erza began to unlock the door and asked if Jellal wanted to come inside.

"I'm sorry, but I'd best get going now... Ultear's going to kill me if I don't-"

"I'd kill you if you what?"

Ultear, accompanied by Meredy, was a few steps away from Jellal and Erza.

Jellal shifted uncomfortably to his right. Erza could tell that he was cornered by her words.

"Jellal, there is absolutely no need to avoid Erza," Ultear spat. "You _love_ her, for crying out loud!" Hearing this made Erza's heart skip a beat. He loved her...

"And where exactly did you get this idea from?"

Erza's heart sank. Was Jellal trying to cover up the truth, or did he really feel nothing for her? She began to step backwards into her room, hoping to find some coverage, but stepped on Mirajane instead.

"Ow! What's going on out here?" Mirajane clutched her foot in pain. "I can hear you people from the-"

Mirajane glanced over at Ultear. "Ooh~! Hi Ultear!"

"You two know each other?" Erza asked in a state of shock.

"Of course we do, silly. I heard that she was pretty skilled at fixing clocks, so I sought her out." Mirajane held up her wrist, showing off her one-of-a-kind gold watch.

"I see..." Erza's face lit up. "So, Ultear fixed your broken watch."

Ultear coughed. "Anyway, as I was saying-"

"Drop it, Ultear. I hurt her. Just stop."

Ultear frowned and pulled out the magazine and opened up to the page with the photo of the 'couple'.

"It doesn't look like you're hurting her here."

"Aw... this is so cute!" Mirajane cooed as she eyed the photo. "Look how happy they look together!"

"I'm sorry to say this, but... you're wrong, Mira," Jellal looked away. "Now if you'll excuse me, I-"

There was a loud smack that stopped Jellal from completing his sentence. The girls, including Ultear, looked on with shock and horror as Erza brought her hand down on Jellal's face.

Tears built up in _the_ Titania's eyes. "How can you be so naive?"

Jellal looked away; he couldn't bear to look at her. He could hear how her voice trembled when she spoke. How awful of him... he had never considered his code of atonement would hurt her just as badly as the past."Erza..."

"I know, and I get it. You hurt me in the past, but I forgive you," Erza's brought her voice down to a whisper. "Why won't you accept what I'm giving you? I _forgave_ you already. Do you think this is what Simon would've wanted?"

She couldn't say anything more after this; upon mentioning Simon's name, she broke down and fell into Jellal's arms and continued to cry. Without looking up this whole time, Jellal seemed to notice the absence of the three girls who were standing before them just a few moments ago. He felt half glad, half worried that they had left. Now he had to comfort Erza... alone.

 **A/N:** **Thank you for reading! Reviews are always appreciated. Thank you in advance.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 **A/N:** **Why not update this ahead of time when there's a day off from school in my hands? ;) I'M FREE AT LAST! (Not for long, though). T-T**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

"I can't believe how you left me back there..." Jellal sat across from Ultear and Meredy, who were trying at the best of their ability to hide their laughter, but failed. "It isn't funny!"

"Oh my gosh," Ultear gasped for air as a result of laughing too hard. "I can't believe that Erza actually slapped you. I didn't expect her to perform something like _that._ "

"I have a confession," Meredy continued. "You deserved it."

"That's not all he deserves," Ultear winked at Meredy, causing the pink-haired girl to break into fits of laughter once more.

Jellal sighed in defeat and sank deeper into his chair. It has been two days since Erza had her mental breakdown. He started avoiding her ever since. Perhaps of guilt? What a coward he was.

"Jellal," Ultear said in a more serious tone. "Just what do you think you're doing to Erza?"

Jellal winced, as if she threw daggers at his throat, and remained silent.

"Do you realize that when you punish yourself, you're hurting Erza as well?"

Jellal looked down at his feet; ashamed and unable to speak. Damn, he was stupid to not come to this realization without Ultear's aid.

"Erza loves you, and you know it. Why won't you accept her love? For heaven's sake, Jellal, you love her too!"

Finally able to speak, he replied; "I hurt her..."

"It's the same excuse every time!"

"But it's the truth, isn't it?"

Ultear stood up with her fists balled at her sides.

"I don't care if that's the damned truth! You're still oblivious to the fact that Erza is being punished without any sin to make up for! You're not making up for your sins; you're passing the baton to someone else!"

Ultear completed her tirade without pausing for a breath of air. She collapsed back onto the chair next to Meredy, exhausted.

"Ultear, this isn't something to get so worked up about." Meredy frowned.

"Are you suggesting that I'm pms-ing right now?"

Meredy giggled. "Maybe." She looked at Jellal. "Jellal, we know you have your reasons, but you need to take ours into account as well."

Ultear closed her eyes and exhaled. "Meredy is right. I ruined your relationship with Erza. That's _my_ sin. How am I going to fix it if the person who's in love is acting so stubborn?"

Jellal stared at the women across from him. Damn, Ultear had a way with words. He opened his mouth and closed it again, having nothing more to say.

"You got me," Jellal muttered. "I-"

Ultear's eyes lit up like twinkling stars. "I just came up with the perfect idea!"

"What is it?" Meredy tugged onto Ultear's sleeve. "Tell me!"

"Hey!" Jellal almost yelled when Ultear leaned over to tell Meredy about her so-called 'plan'.

Ultear pulled away and picked up her phone. "Now all we need to do is this," Ultear pointed at her address book.

Meredy glanced at Jellal. "Doesn't that mean that he should leave?"

"Yes, you're right."

"What the hell are you-" Before he could complete his question, the girls pushed him out the door.

"Don't worry; we'll give you a call when we're finished." And with that, Ultear and Meredy slammed the door in his face.

Jellal stood there, speechless. "Damn betrayers," he muttered. "I have a bad feeling about this..."

...

Mirajane was in the middle of washing the dishes when her phone rang. She quickly turned off the faucet and removed her latex gloves in order to reach her wailing phone.

"Hello?"

"Ultear? Hi! How'd it go?"

"Better than we anticipated. I'll tell you about it later. I think I finally convinced Jellal to give it a chance; he has no idea what we're up to, though. Is Erza there?"

"No, she isn't. She left with Lucy to work on the play."

Mirajane heard Ultear release a heavy sigh of relief. "Good. Now, Valentine's Day is coming up in less than a week... Does Erza have plans for this very special day?"

"As a matter of fact," Mirajane giggled. "She usually spends it alone. I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't have lovey-dovey plans for this one either."

"Perfect. Now, was I was saying..."

...

"Erza, you didn't have to waste your time on helping me. I have everything under control."

"Why not? Everything needs to be perfect."

Erza and Lucy were sitting in Lucy's shared dorm room with Levy, who wasn't present at the moment.

"Anyhow," Lucy giggled. "Evergreen isn't going to be pleased once we put this up. Though, it isn't surprising that Mira got the role of princess Yanderica..."

"I know," Despite this, Erza frowned; there was clearly something else on her mind. "Lucy, do you have any plans for Valentine's Day?"

Lucy blushed. "Well... I suppose Natsu's taking me out to dinner with Gray and Juvia. I guess you can consider it to be a double-date. Gray insisted on taking us along, but I don't think that Juvia is happy about it... You know how dense Natsu is, though. He could use some role-modeling. I just hope they don't get into a fight and ruin everything..."

Erza stared at her in shock. " _Natsu_ asked you out? And wait-" Erza trembled as Lucy laughed at her reaction. Erza caught her breath. "When did Gray and Juvia get together? As far as I know, Gray always declined her!"

"I know, I was quite shocked at first, but it was nice to see that Gray finally gave in to his true feelings-"

Lucy stopped talking due to Erza's silence. "Erza?"

"Hm?"

Lucy sighed with relief. "Do you have any plans for Valentine's Day?"

Erza was lost and drowned in her thoughts for a moment, only to resurface with an answer within a matter of seconds.

"I... don't know."

Lucy stared at her, puzzled. "I thought that you and Jellal were up to something."

Erza showed a sign of hurt and grimace. "What of it?"

Lucy winced. "Did... something happen?"

"No, not at all! Everything is fine." Erza gave her a fake smile and started to hit the keys on Lucy's laptop harder than she intended to.

"You're hiding something from me, aren't you?"

Erza stopped typing and glared at Lucy. "Lay off my case. I already told you; _nothing_ is wrong."

"O-okay." Lucy shuddered and was afraid that Erza would snap. They finished the poster with the final results in silence.

...

It was a day before Ultear and Mirajane's plan would set in motion. Erza woke with Mirajane towering above her, much to her surprise.

"Good, you're awake. Hurry, we don't have much time!"

"What are you talking about?"

Mira didn't answer her question. Instead, she grabbed Erza and pushed her into the bathroom.

With almost no time to question Mirajane's actions, Erza reluctantly obeyed. By the time she walked out of the bathroom, Mirajane had already prepared breakfast.

"Eat up. We don't have much time!" Mirajane dashed past a clueless Erza.

"Did you-"

"Don't worry about me, I already ate." Mirajane called.

Erza gobbled her breakfast as fast as she could manage, much to Mirajane's enjoyment.

Mirajane was already in her jacket and handbag slung over her arm.

Erza slipped on a light, black jacket and was about to grab her purse, but Mirajane stopped her.

"You don't need that," Mirajane pushed Erza, who was confused, out the door. "Let's go!"

...

"Mira, what are you playing at?"

"What do you mean, Erza?"

Erza's eyes wandered around the salon; there were stacks of clothing every: from as little as socks to coats; you name it. It seemed to her that Mirajane was looking for a dress.

"I don't see why I had to tag along-"

Mirajane thrust a pile of dresses into Erza's arms.

"What are you-"

"Just try them on," Mirajane huffed impatiently and pushed Erza into one of the changing rooms.

...

"I don't understand, Mira. Why make such a fuss for me to try on dresses?" Erza scowled. "I don't need any more clothing!"

"Well, I thought it would be nice to go shopping together." Mirajane smiled innocently. "We haven't done this in awhile, no?"

"I suppose so..." Erza blew her red locks off her face. Mirajane was right; it _has_ been awhile, and it felt relaxing.

...

Jellal groaned. He didn't know it would come down to this. Ultear and Meredy were dashing here and there, searching for a fitting suit for Jellal.

"I don't know..." Jellal gazed at his reflection; he was wearing a black suit with a red tie.

"Is it not to your liking?" The shopkeeper frowned. "It suits you!"

Meredy laughed and almost fell off her chair. The shopkeeper grinned. "Sorry for the bad pun."

"No, it isn't that." Jellal gave the shopkeeper a reassuring smile and glanced at Ultear and Meredy.

"Are you sure Erza is going to be okay with this?"

"Of course she will! With this, Erza will be pleased."

...

Erza sighed and slumped onto the couch. "Today was the worst..."

Mirajane smirked. "You won't be saying that for long..."

Erza stared at Mirajane with great confusion. Mirajane giggled and walked out of the room before Erza could question her actions.

 **A/N:** **Thank you for reading :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 **A/N:** **Jerza fluff alert, despite all the hints I have given you. Oh well...**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

When Erza awoke that very morning, an aroma of bacon and eggs entered her nostrils. It was clear to her that Mirajane was tinkering in the kitchen. She slid over to the side of her bed, allowing her legs to dangle, and sat upright.

"Oh, you're up! That's one less thing for me to worry about." Mirajane entered Erza's section of the room with a tray in her hands.

"Morning Mira," Erza eyed the tray in Mirajane's arms. "You didn't have to go through all that trouble-"

Mirajane placed the tray on the coffee table and smiled. "Today is a special day," Mirajane said, completely ignoring Erza. "Hurry up and get dressed, 'kay?"

Without question (there would be no point anyway), Erza performed her morning routine in a matter of minutes, and began to eat her already prepared breakfast.

"Erza, aren't you excited?"

Erza looked up from her breakfast to Mirajane, who was reading the local news.

"About what?"

Mirajane furrowed her eyebrows. "You're kidding, right? Think about what day it is."

Erza pondered for a moment; then it hit her. "You're right, Mira. The results of the play auditions are being posted today!"

Mirajane sighed and put her cheek in her palm. "I suppose that'll do."

"Speaking of which," Erza held her hand up. "In three, two, one..."

As if it was on cue, the girls heard screams of excitement coming from downstairs.

Mirajane nearly choked on her pancakes and laughed. "Still have that top notch timing, eh?"

Erza grinned and stood up. "I'm going to check it out."

"I'm coming too!"

Erza stared at her in bewilderment. "I don't think that will be necessary-"

Mirajane huffed and folded her arms. "I know, I know, I always get one of the main roles, but I still want to see how the others did!"

"You have a point..."

...

A swarm of people had already gathered around the poster that Erza and Lucy created.

"What?!" Evergreen was at the front, gawking at the paper. "I didn't get the role?"

She angrily stomped her way towards Erza and Mirajane."It's _your_ fault!"

Erza didn't flinch, nor show any sign of emotion of her face. Instead, she cocked an eyebrow at her. "Really? As far as I'm concerned, the results were pretty clear during the auditions."

Evergreen looked as if she was about to erupt lava out of her cheeks. She whipped her head around, making sure that her bushy, light brown hair hit Erza's face and stormed away.

"Well," Erza sighed and glanced at Mirajane, who was laughing. "I don't know why, but I've got a feeling that she'll interfere with the play at some point..."

"You may be right," Mirajane smiled. "I have a date with Laxus tonight... Do you mind giving me a hand or two later?"

"Sure."

...

"Oh no," Mirajane groaned. "My hair!"

"It's alright," Erza chuckled at a section of Mirajane's hair, which was acting like a cowlick at that moment. "I'm sure we'll be able to fix it."

Mira's phone started to ring. "I'm sorry Erza... Give me a moment of privacy, will you?"

Erza, who still held a brush in her right hand and various bottle's of Mirajane's perfumes in her other arm, was struggling to keep her balance.

"Sorry about that," Mirajane laughed nervously. "Here, let me-"

There were light knocks on the door; Mirajane stiffened.

"I'll get it." Erza began to set down Mirajane's trinkets onto the nearest table, only to be stopped by the actress. "Hey! Your bottles- What are you-"

Too late. Mirajane shoved her into the bathroom without any further delay, and locked the door. The perfume bottles that were once in Erza's arms hit the ground and scattered.

"Mira!" Erza banged on the door with all her might. "What the hell?"

Mirajane scurried across the dorm room and finally turned the knob on the door. There stood Jellal; dressed in a black suit, dress pants, and a red tie. He seemed to be hiding something behind his back.

"Good evening, Mirajane. Is Erza ready?"

It was pretty clear that Jellal was nervous, but Mirajane overlooked it.

"Yes, in a moment... Sit down." Mirajane pointed at the sofa, and Jellal obeyed. He couldn't help but hear a loud racket coming from the back of their room.

Mirajane shifted uncomfortably. "As you can see, Erza's a bit... confused. Now if you'll excuse me-"

Without another word, Mirajane ran out of Jellal's line of sight and unlocked the door, freeing an enraged Erza.

"Mira! What the hell are you up to?"

Mirajane grabbed the dress that she had bought the previous day, including the brush that was still in Erza's hand and a black, lacy bra with panties to match.

"Hey! Mira, stop-!"

Mirajane began ripping off her clothes, including her undergarments.

"Mira, stop taking off my clothes!" Erza attempted to flee from Mira's grasp, only to be stopped yet again.

"Stop, there's someone there! You don't want them to see you in your birthday suit-"

"I don't get why you're making me put on matching laced panties!"

Clothes? Erza was naked? Laced underwear? Jellal's thoughts wandered for a moment before he snapped back into reality. No, he musn't think like this!

Mirajane slipped the dress over her head and onto Erza's body. She snatched the brush and brushed her hair as fast as she could manage.

"Ow! Mira, it hurts!"

"Sorry Erza, but this is for your own good."

Mirajane began braiding Erza's hair waterfall-style as quickly as she could and curled the edges of her scarlet hair.

"Thank goodness you don't need any makeup." Mirajane stepped back, pleased with her work.

"What in the name of Mavis you-" Erza yelped. With one final movement, Mirajane slipped shoes on Erza's feet to match her outfit. She then dragged Erza towards Jellal.

Erza blushed when she noticed the way Jellal was dressed. Thank goodness Mirajane had stopped her from running away! "What's... going on?"

"Jellal's here to take you out on a date for this very special occasion." Mirajane winked at Jellal.

"Special occasion...?"

Mirajane sighed. "Erza, you're just as dense as Natsu. It's Valentine's Day!"

Erza blushed with embarrassment. "I... didn't know that was today..."

"Well," Mirajane gave a sly grin and entwined Erza's hand with Jellal's hand. "Now you know."

The two blushed at Mirajane's gesture and Erza was about to untangle her fingers with Jellal's but his hand was firm. Erza tried to wriggle free of his grasp once more, and failed.

"You best be off now," Mirajane chuckled. "I think you have everything under control, Jellal."

Jellal nodded and led Erza to the door, allowing her to step through it first and closed the door behind them.

Mirajane sighed. "How hopeless she is without us..." Mirajane picked up her phone and wrote:

'Mission accomplished. All thanks to you, Ultear.'

Now she had her own date to worry about; after she cleaned up the mess Erza made, of course.

...

Jellal and Erza walked along the corridor in silence. He turned his head to scan his date; she was wearing a dark blue, sleeveless dress with silver sequins embellishing its top portion. The hem of her dress reached just two inched about her knees. Her feet were covered in white heels adorned with blue gems outlining its platforms. His eyes roamed around her passive face; Mirajane was right. She definitely didn't need any make up.

"Jellal?"

Jellal was too shocked to speak. He finally managed a 'yes' in a questioning tone from his unusually dry lips.

"Erm... sorry for slapping you the other day," Erza blushed and looked away before the bluenette could notice.

"Oh, well..." Jellal stopped himself before he mentioned anything about Meredy's opinion. Erza would start questioning about that for sure. "You did the right thing."

Erza stared at him in disbelief. "I-I... no, it wasn't..."

Jellal hushed her just as they arrived outside of Jellal's car. He opened the door for her and shut it once she was seated. He then proceeded to the driver's seat and started up the engine.

...

They arrived outside a small, yet welcoming building. The inside was surprisingly big, and many people were already there.

"I'm sorry," Jellal gave Erza a small smile. "Most restaurants were already booked for tonight."

Erza smiled back. "No, it's perfect."

"Welcome back to 8-Island, Jellal! I see you brought Erza too." An old man who appeared to be in his 80s stepped forward.

"This voice..." Erza was surprised. "Yajima!"

Yajima chuckled. "It's been awhile, Erza. I see you two finally made up..."

Erza blushed. "Uh, well..."

Yajima laughed with amusement. "I was kidding. Anyhow, your table is upstairs," He pointed to a staircase near the back of the building. "I saved the best for last," Yajima winked. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a kitchen to run..." Yajima dashed off, leaving the couple alone.

Erza and Jellal walked behind chairs and around tables to reach theirs. Erza gasped; the table that awaited them was seated near a balcony. They could see the sun on the horizon line, and aided the candles that lit the table, just barely lighting the area around it. Jellal pulled out a chair for Erza to sit, and then took his place in his seat. The waiter placed the menus on the table and proceeded downstairs to tend to other guests.

Erza skimmed over the pages of the menu, glad to finally escape Jellal's stares. She loved him, but... why did she feel so nervous?

"Erza?"

Erza jumped at the sound of her name. "Yes?"

Jellal chuckled. "Nothing."

It was about time the waiter showed up again; she was saved.

...

They ate their dinner in silence, and Erza was the first to finish. She completed this task without looking up at Jellal. Jellal put down his fork. "Am I bothering you?"

Erza shifted her gaze to his eyes. "No."

Jellal shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Was she lying? No, she couldn't have.

He stood and took Erza by her hand and helped her out of her chair, not that she needed it, but he found it as an excuse to hold her hand. The couple walked away from their table and towards the open air near the balcony. There they stood, side by side, watching the sun lower into the sea.

She was scared; scared of how this scenario would unfold. She couldn't understand it herself. She was with the man she loved, yet it felt so strange...

"Erza."

Erza looked up and yelped. She found Jellal's face to be a small distance away from her's; just thinking about what he would do next made her blush.

"What is it now?" She tensed.

Jellal pulled out a long case from behind his back. "I have something for you."

Erza's eyes widened as he placed the box into her arms. "H-heavy..."

Jellal smiled as Erza opened the box, revealing a bamboo-crafted kendo stick.

"I heard you practice kendo." Jellal smiled as she stroked the 'sword' in awe.

Erza looked up from her present and stared at Jellal, mesmerized by his eyes. "Thank you."

Jellal grinned wider as she examined the handle of her brand new stick; there appeared to be some sort of message engraved there.

"I'm here for whenever you need me." She blushed. "Oh, Jellal, I-"

She fell silent. "I didn't know that we would be going out tonight; I didn't get you anything... I'm so sorry..."

"It's fine," Jellal stepped closer to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. "All I need is you."

Erza blushed profusely at his comment, yet she moved closer towards his gesture. Close enough that their foreheads were touching and that their breath mingled. Erza bit her lip and stared into Jellal's eyes for the millionth time that evening. Jellal couldn't take it anymore- closing the gap between their faces, he leaned in and captured her lips into his.

Erza felt so dizzy; she couldn't believe that this was really happening. The whole world didn't matter. Even their past wasn't able to break their bond this time around. And this time, they were complete.

Valentine's Day really _is_ full of miracles...

 **A/N:** **I did it! :D This story isn't over though; I still have a few things to cover. I may not update this story next week because of regents exams. :( Other than that, see you next time!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

 **A/N:** **I had regents exams this past week. Sorry for the wait.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

"Gray, you did it again!"

"What did I do?"

Lucy was exhausted. Who wouldn't be?

"The name is _Julius_ , not Seinhart!"

"How was I supposed to know?"

"Juvia thinks Gray was perfect!" Juvia piped from her seat as she stared at Gray in awe.

"Unfortunately, Erza won't think the same." Lucy cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Love rival..."

"That has nothing to do with this!"

Poor Lucy... Erza had kendo practice today since the annual state championship games was coming up, and Lucy was left in charge of the play; alone. Since Erza had gone, many misfortunes were in store. Gray, for example, didn't remember the correct name of his character. At least he did much better than other people who auditioned for this role. All he needed to do was to get the damned name right!

"Lucy, Reedus has some questions about the stage props!" Mirajane called.

Lucy sighed. This was going to be a long day...

...

Erza swung her new kendo stick, and barely missed Gajeel's face by a few inches.

"Whoa there, Titania," Gajeel dropped his stick. "You win again."

"As expected of our captain," said another.

"Erza sure is scary..." Meredy shuddered and stared at Erza with fear in her eyes.

"You're up, Meredy." Erza guided her stick to her side.

"I'll pass... I'm still a little new to this." Meredy gulped.

"Don't be silly; how else will you learn?"

Jellal watched on with amusement at Meredy and Erza 'clashed'. Actually, Erza was teaching Meredy the basics of kendo more or less. He smiled to himself just thinking about how Erza had changed from a socially awkward girl to an open adult. It was truly amazing how time was at work...

"Jellal?"

Meredy caught his attention with one final snap of her fingers.

"Sorry, Meredy."

"Erza is really good at kendo." She changed the subject, as if she didn't hear his apology.

"Yeah..." His voice trailed off as his gaze fixed on Erza.

Meredy giggled. "I can see why Ultear's mind was set on you two."

Jellal groaned. "Kudos to her..."

"Speaking of Erza," Meredy waved to the redhead; it was her cue to leave.

Erza walked towards the pair. "I'll see you at our next kendo meeting, Meredy."

"Thank you for letting me on the team; even though I knew almost nothing whatsoever..."

Erza beamed. "That's not a problem." Meredy smiled back.

"I'm looking forward to our next encounter," Meredy waved. "See you."

As she walked off, Jellal silently laughed to himself.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," He finally managed a response after catching his breath. "You've changed."

"How so?"

"Socializing."

Erza paused for a moment to briefly revisit the memories of her past and blushed. "Was it really that bad?"

"No," Jellal took Erza's hand and moved it to his lips. "But you've improved."

Erza flinched at his gesture. "Jellal..."

Jellal smiled and pulled her onto his lap, causing her to squirm in his grasp. How cute; she was still shy around him.

"You're lucky that the rest of my team left before you started this... If anyone were to walk in on us, it would mean trouble."

"You're right," Jellal chuckled and lowered her off his lap. "Sorry."

"I'd like to see how Lucy and the others are doing... Coming?"

"Sure."

...

It was a matter of seconds before they reached the scene. The entire theatre hall was in a state of commotion and disarray in Erza's eyes.

"Gray, get back here, we're not finished! Put your clothes back on!"

"Love rival..."

Reedus appeared from backstage with his paintbrushes at the ready. "Lucy, what color are the dragon's scales again?"

Meanwhile, Freed and Bixlow bickered over the lighting on the stage.

"Bixlow, move it to the left! That side needs to be more lighting."

"Don't tell me what to do Freed; I have everything under control!"

Lucy sank to her knees. This wasn't what she had in mind.

"SILENCE!" Erza screamed, causing everyone to stop in their tracks and looked her way.

"E-Erza!" Lucy managed squeak. "I thought you were at kendo today..."

"Lucy, it doesn't take all day to practice kendo. All you need is-" Erza stopped to notice everyone staring at her in fear; particularly at her right hand.

"Oh dear..." Mirajane nervously laughed.

Jellal laughed and tapped Erza's shoulder. "You're still holding it..."

Erza looked down, only to find that she was still holding the kendo stick Jellal had given her.

"S-sorry..."

"Don't mention it," Jellal gently took the kendo stick and leaned it against the nearest chair.

"Seriously, I put Lucy in charge for a day and _this_ is what I see when I decide to check on you people?!"

Everyone was either trembling in fear or staring at the ground in embarrassment.

"It's time to get back on track, I suppose... Freed, Bixlow, you two are free to go. The dragon's scales are green, Reedus. Gray, put on some clothes or I'm writing you up," Erza sighed with frustration. "Honestly, you should know the drill by now!"

...

"I am utterly speechless. Words have failed me."

"I'm so sorry, Erza. It won't happen again." Lucy slouched as they walked out of the auditorium.

"It's fine Lucy, I had a hunch it wouldn't go to well... It looked like my intuition was right."

"Is that supposed to help me feel better?"

Erza laughed. "I said it was fine, didn't I?"

Lucy laughed along with her, not because of Erza's teasing, but to get on her good side. After all, she _did_ have a rough time getting everyone back on track.

"By the way, where's Jellal?"

"He has some 'Crime Sorciere' business to take care of."

...

"How on earthland are we going raise enough money for this sort of thing?" Angel pounded her fist onto the table with impatience.

"With love! Yes!"

"Shut up, Hoteye," Cobra propped himself against a wall. "There's no way you can earn money with love."

"Everyone, we aren't here to argue about this matter." Ultear stood from her chair. "I'm sure that we all have some sort of idea. Respect each other."

"We could start a fundraiser," Meredy shrugged. "I can't say if it's going to be successful or not..."

"Sorry, but I cannot agree with that."

"Racer, if you're going to lecture us about raising money _faster_ , then I don't want to hear about it."

"Why not, Meredy?"

Jellal smiled. "This may be a bit strange, but why can't we all just get jobs?"

Ultear smirked. "That's a wonderful idea, but you have a girlfriend to spend time with."

Meredy giggled with amusement as Jellal blushed.

"Oh please," Cobra scoffed. "Don't tell me that we're gonna have to do all the work now."

 **A/N:** **Thank you for reading :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

 **A/N:** **You might notice that I switched the little girl's name to 'Akusa' instead of 'Asuka' because Asuka is Alzack and Bisca's child ;). This is not a mistake. However, 'Akusa' means to bring opportunities for success in business and financial accumulation or boundless energy/enthusiasm; which suits this character very much; or so I think.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

Jellal woke with a headache and groaned. He looked around his room, only to discover that it wasn't his.

"Morning, sleepy-head." A familiar voice giggled.

"What the-" Jellal jumped when he saw Erza's face pop out of nowhere.

Erza laughed. "Sorry for scaring you."

Jellal scanned Erza and Mirajane's dorm room. "What am I doing here?"

"I'm not sure... Last night, no... Early this morning, you arrived outside our door. When Mirajane answered the door, you somehow passed out. We didn't know what to do, considering that is was past F.T.U's curfew, so we took you in." Erza looked puzzled herself. "What were you doing?"

Jellal scratched his head in confusion. "I... don't know."

Erza sighed. "You know, I'm supposed to be writing you up for this; boyfriend or not. However, I'll let it go this time."

"Hiya, lovebirds." Mirajane walked out of the kitchen with a big grin plastered on her face and a platter of waffles in her arms.

Erza and Jellal blushed in unison and looked away from the direction of her gaze.

"Sorry to interrupt," Mirajane giggled. "But breakfast is ready."

"I'm sorry Erza and Mira; I shouldn't be here."

He felt a tug on his arm as he turned to face the door and turned his head it Erza's direction.

"If there's anything that is bothering you, let me know whenever you're ready."

Jellal quickly nodded. "Yeah, thanks."

As Jellal left, Mirajane's smile gradually faded and eyed Erza.

"Is there something wrong?"

Erza sighed. "Don't worry about it. It's just..." Erza bit into her waffle and pondered over Jellal's actions. "He hasn't been handling his new job well. Whenever he gets back from his job, he seems so... exhausted."

Mirajane laughed. "You're right, but this is Jellal we're talking about. I'm sure he'll get through it."

...

"Jellal!" Meredy and Ultear waved at Jellal and beckoned him over to their lunch table.

Jellal nearly slumped onto his chair when he reached the table and quickly greeted them.

"How's your new job?"

"It's fine," Jellal rubbed his eyes with exhaustion.

"You don't look so good, Jellal. Was Akusa a naughty girl?"

Jellal sighed. "I don't know where children get all their energy from... She wore me out within the first few minutes of my last visit!"

"Jellal, the leader of Crime Sorcière, done in by a mere child," Meredy mocked before she burst into fits of laughter; Ultear joined in as well.

Jellal groaned. "This isn't funny!"

Ultear set down her lunch and coughed. "Well, to make you feel better, I've been hired at a clock repair shop... My grandfather's, to be precise." She let out a shaky laugh.

"Ultear," Meredy pleaded. "You forgot to tell Jellal about _that_."

"Oh right," Ultear giggled. "I totally forgot."

"Well?" Jellal was growing impatient.

Ultear laughed. "The truth is; most clock repair shops didn't want to hire me because of my 'lack of experience'. Truth be told, they have no idea of what I'm capable of."

"That's a shame..." Jellal started to pass out, until he mentally pinched himself to stay awake. "I'm sorry Ultear and Meredy, but I have to get some rest before I babysit Akusa... again."

"Alright, good luck 'big brother'." Ultear smirked.

...

"Jellal, wait!"

Jellal turned to see his girlfriend running after him in F.T.U's parking lot, and stopped walking in order for her to catch up.

"Erza, what are you doing here? I thought you had a play to manage."

"Actually, it's tomorrow, Jellal." She looked up at his face full of concern. "Where are you... going?"

"I'm babysitting. I have to get there in order to do that, though." He playfully smiled at her, but found that she wasn't in the slightest mood to find this amusing.

"I'm coming with you."

His eyes widened. "Erza, no, you can't!"

Before he could protest, Erza snatched the car keys from his hand and marched over to his car.

"First off," Erza glared at her boyfriend as they got settled in the car. "I'm not letting you drive there in your condition. What if you got hurt?"

She was right. What if he got into a car accident? There was no way she would forgive him for that one.

"Erza-"

"Secondly," She turned her head away and started up the engine. "I seriously doubt that you would make it through a whole session of babysitting by yourself."

There was no point in arguing back; after all, she was being stubborn.

"What I'm trying to say is... get some rest."

"Okay..."

...

Erza turned off the car engine and softly tapped on Jellal's shoulder. "We're here."

Jellal groaned and got out of the car.

"Erza?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks."

"Y-your welcome..."

"Mr. Fernandes!" A woman came running out of the house to greet them. She shook Jellal's hand and turned to Erza.

"Oh! You must be Erza. Wow... Mr. Fernandes speaks of you often, but when he mentioned that you had scarlet hair, I thought he was exaggerating!"

Erza glanced at Jellal and caught him furiously blushing under his blue locks.

"It's nice to meet you, um..." Erza accepted the woman's hand and looked at her questionably.

"I'm so sorry; how rude of me! My name is Mrs. Junelle."

Erza smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Junelle. I'm Erza Scarlet."

Mrs. Junelle smiled and beckoned the college students into her home.

...

"Wow." Erza was speechless. The house's exterior was flawless, but its interior design was beyond her wildest dreams. The walls were painted a light brownish cream color. There was a giant chandelier at the center of the dining room ceiling with a wide hallway that led to the kitchen. The house's marble-tiled floor reflected light back up at the ceiling, creating a shimmering effect.

The trio made a right turn; awaiting them was a grand staircase. It seemed as though someone knew that they were coming.

"Akusa! Jellal is here!"

"I know, mommy. I'm coming!"

A small girl who appeared to be six years old hopped down the staircase. Her brown hair was tied in a single braid, and her eyes sparkled with happiness as she ran down the stairs to greet them.

"Jellal!", the little girl squealed as she tackled her babysitter. Erza couldn't help but laugh at Jellal's reaction to the child's actions.

"Akusa, mind your manners!"

"Sorry mommy..."

Mrs. Junelle sighed. "Anyhow, I have to get going in a few short moments."

Erza nodded. "Excuse me, Mrs. Junelle, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have a question in mind."

"Go on."

"This is so sudden, and I know that we aren't so familiar with each other yet, but is it okay if I stay here with Jellal to watch your daughter? I'm worried about his condition..."

Erza was right; Jellal looked as if he were to faint any second, and Akusa had a great deal of energy left.

Mrs. Junelle stopped for a brief moment and smiled. "I suppose you can."

"Thank you, Mrs. Junelle."

"It's not a problem my dear." Mrs. Junelle was about to head out the door before she glanced back at her daughter.

"I'll see you in a few hours. Akusa?" She stared at her daughter for a few moments.

"Mommy, I know, I know. 'Be a good girl.'"

Mrs. Junelle grinned and closed the door behind her and locked it with a soft clicking noise.

"Let's go upstairs!" Akusa bounced with glee and excitement as she practically dragged Jellal up the stairs with Erza tailing them.

The child let the college students into a room painted in pink. Curtains were draped over a frame on Akusa's bed, with bed sheets whose pattern consisted of pink and white-like stripes. On the opposing side of her room, there stood a white dresser with a wide mirror attached to it.

Akusa pulled Jellal onto a chair in front of the dresser and pulled out a drawer full of trinkets. "Let's play dress-up today, Jellal!"

Jellal's eyes widened as Akusa pulled out a pair of scissors. "Akusa, no!" He took the scissors from her hand, and set them back into the drawer from where it came from.

"Give it back, Jellal; you need a haircut!"

Jellal sighed. "Akusa, it's very dangerous to play with scissors. Do you understand me?"

Akusa looked down and appeared to be upset. "Yes, Jellal..."

Erza smiled to herself. Yes, she knew that Jellal was very gentle being, but it warmed her heart to see how well he handled children so well with this soft demeanor.

"Jellal, who is she?"

Erza looked up amidst in her thoughts. Jellal smiled and gave her an 'it's-ok' look.

"That's Erza-"

"Ooh~!" Akusa squealed. "Jellal-oniisan, Erza is your princess, right?"

Erza's face became flustered. Princess? She stared at her boyfriend in a confused manner.

"I guess you can put it that way", causing Erza's face to become redder each second.

"Yay! I have a new game in mind." Akusa's eyes sparkled as she eyed Jellal and Erza.

"What's your idea, Akusa?" Erza noticed that Jellal was doing his best to make Akusa was happy despite his worries.

"Let's play pretend!"

"Isn't that the same as dress up?"

Akusa shook her head. "No."

"Well then... what game do you have in mind?"

...

"...and they lived happily ever after. The end!" Akusa smiled and laughed as Jellal and Erza dropped to the ground.

"Well," Erza giggled. "That was fun."

Jellal sighed. "You should see how she acts when you're not around..."

Akusa stared at them in amusement. "I forgot."

"What do you mean, Akusa?" Jellal looked down at the girl with questioning eyes.

"I forgot something very important." Akusa giggled as her eyes goggled at the couple.

"Oh Akusa, just tell us."

"Aren't the prince and the princess supposed to kiss at the end?"

Erza flushed and Jellal looked away from the girl.

"Akusa, fairy tales don't always end that way." Jellal softly spoke to the girl in hopes of not hurting her feelings.

"They don't?"

"Some do, but others don't. And I don't think that your mother will approve of us smooching in front of her daughter..."

Akusa looked as though as she might cry. "But-"

"Alright, alright," Jellal forced a smile and turned to Erza. "Are you okay with this?"

Erza stopped and glanced at the little girl who was on the verge of tears.

"How can I say no when you look at me like that?"

Jellal set Akusa onto her bed, pulled Erza into his arms and placed a quick peck on her lips.

"Yay!", Akusa cheered as Jellal pulled off this stunt. Erza slid off Jellal's lap, still blushing, and turned to Akusa. "Alright, what would you like to do next, Akusa?"

Akusa seemed to be not paying attention to Erza's words. She walked over to the dresser and pulled out one of its drawers, revealing a collection of dolls. Akusa spread her arms wide in order to grab this many dolls. She turned around to face Erza and set the dolls on the ground, due to their weight and Akusa's inability to carry that many dolls in her small hands.

"Will you play with me? Jellal isn't good at playing with dolls..."

Erza cocked an eyebrow at Jellal, and he nervously smiled. "You aren't good at playing with _dolls_?"

"What can I say? I never knew these were ever invented!"

Erza sighed as Akusa giggled. "You really are hopeless..."

...

"Thank you so much Jellal," Mrs. Junelle shook his hand and moved on to shake Erza's. "And thank you, Erza. I hope we meet again soon."

Mrs. Junelle pulled out her wallet and handed Jellal his daily payment. She reached into it again and handed Erza a similar amount, only to be stopped the scarlet-haired beauty herself.

"Please, Mrs. Junelle. I can't."

"Erza! It wouldn't feel right to not pay you after everything you've done-"

"I'm positive."

Mrs. Junelle stared at Erza in disbelief and withdrew her hand. "There must be a way to repay you..."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Junelle. Thank you for letting me stay; it's more than enough."

"I guess we'll be going now. I'll see you next time, Mrs. Junelle, Akusa." Jellal picked up Akusa and spun her around as she squealed with delight before he resumed to putting on his shoes and walking out the door with his girlfriend hand-in-hand.

"Bye-bye!", Akusa shouted as the couple walked to Jellal's car. As they drove away, they saw Akusa and Mrs. Junelle waving until they were out of their line of sight.

"Erza?"

"Mhm, Jellal?"

"Thank you."

"Save your energy," Erza laughed as she continued to drive back to F.T.U.

 **A/N:** **I'm sorry that this story was updated a day late, but this chapter required a little more editing. I wasn't going to upload this chapter because I thought that it would interfere with the story line, but a few close friends thought that it would be nice to see how Jellal and Erza would act around a child in their hands. And as always, thank you for reading :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

"No, no, no!" Erza whimpered as she tossed clothing from her closet left and right. "Nothing seems right!"

Jellal set down his newspaper watched his girlfriend in amusement. "Erza, we're just going out to dinner with our friends. There is no need to get all touchy-feely about what you're going to wear tonight."

"Hm..." Erza put her finger to her lips, deep in thought and ignoring Jellal's remark. "Which dress should I wear?"

She pulled out two dresses from her dorm room closet, revealing a blue dress with stars at its base while the other was pink with a white belt hugging its waist.

Jellal sighed at Erza's needless worrying. "Erza, I already told you; you look good in anything."

Erza laughed and playfully threw her clothing at him. "I asked you for your opinion."

"Well, I just gave you mine," he purred as he removed the dresses that landed on top of him. "Just pick a dress and we'll get going."

...

"I can't believe it took you so long to decide on what to wear," Jellal chuckled as he helped Erza out of his car. "Women really are mysterious..."

Erza folded her arms and huffed. "Well, it's the last time I'm ever going out to dinner with my friends when I'm still in college."

"But it isn't like you're never going to see them again, right?"

Erza shot him a death glare, earning a nervous laugh to escape from him lips.

...

The couple stepped through the door and immediately noticed their group of friends settled at a large round-table with a lazy Susan at the table's center. Food had already arrived at the table, but it was left untouched.

"Erza! Jellal! You made it!" Mirajane jumped from her seat and nearly tackled Erza onto the ground. "I thought something happened!"

Then it hit her; she had taken her sweet time on deciding on what to wear.

Jellal laughed and whispered in her ear. "Do you see what I mean now?"

Erza's cheeks changed to a luscious pink color. "W-well..."

Mirajane smirked. "I see, I see... Maybe you were having some fun with Jellal before you left-"

"Alright, that's enough Mira." Laxus took Mirajane by the arm and dragged her back to her seat, much to Erza's relief. Jellal pulled out a chair and let Erza sit down before taking a seat between her and Natsu."

Juvia sighed as she leaned against Gray's chest. "If only Gray-sama and Juvia did _that_ together..."

Gray jolted in shock and attempted to get up from his chair, only to be weighed down by Juvia's head. "Get those thoughts out of your head!"

Mirajane laughed. "Don't worry, Juvia. It'll happen when the time is right. Erza struck gold before she got here though-"

"I did not!"

"I think that's enough," Lucy piped up. "Is it really appropriate to be talking about this at the table? For crying out loud Natsu, stop whimpering like a dog; you can start eating now!"

Erza looked around at her friends. Next to her sat Mirajane, Laxus, Gray, Juvia, Lisanna, Levy, Lucy, Natsu and Jellal. She couldn't help but notice that a few people were missing.

"Where's Gajeel, Wendy and Cana?"

"Oh... Gajeel said that he had something to take care of, but he wouldn't tell me. Wendy is with professor Poluchka back at F.T.U, and Cana..." Levy shook her head, indicating that she didn't know of Cana's whereabouts.

Their conversation was cut short due to Natsu's rambunctious method of eating.

"Natsu, stop it!" Lucy whacked the back of his head with his palm as Gray laughed in amusement.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You're being rude!"

Mirajane smirked. "Aww~! When's the wedding?"

Lucy blushed at the thought of them getting married and covered her face. "M-mira!"

"Huh?" Natsu gave Mirajane a questioning look. "What's a wedding?"

"Natsu!"

Erza laughed at the couple's reaction to Mirajane's playful, yet sly tease, but immediately silenced herself due to the fact that Mirajane would soon get on her case.

"But," Mirajane glanced at Erza. "It seems that this pair jumped the gun..."

"Actually, Erza had a hard time choosing what to wear."

Erza glared at Jellal.

"What? It's the truth."

"You didn't have to say it!"

"Oh? Would you rather let them think that we did _that_?"

"I could've handled it myself, you know..."

They were interrupted by a patient cough and stares from their friends.

"First fight? What next?" Mirajane squealed in delight and hushed herself upon seeing Erza's murderous stare.

"As I was _trying_ to say..." Lucy impatiently tapped her finger on the table as all heads turned to her. "I couldn't have conducted the play without Erza's help; I am confident about this year's play's success. Thank you for all your support." Everyone picked up a glass of wine that happened to be placed near them.

"To friends and family!" Natsu bellowed as he raised his glass like everyone else. The restaurant abruptly quieted down and searched for the source for such a scream.

"Oh my..." Mirajane nervously laughed as she brought the glass to her lips. Lucy blushed in embarrassment and pulled Natsu back into his chair by his scarf.

"I think it's best if you all leave now..." A young man came over and placed the bill on the table.

"We're sorry for the trouble..." Lucy hung her head as she slid some money into the case, and passed it back to the owner. The group proceeded to walk out the door with the owner tailing them in hopes of getting them to exit faster.

...

"You're such an idiot!", Lucy barked into her boyfriend's ear as the group walked out of the restaurant.

"Quiet, Lucy."

"You're the one to talk!"

"Juvia and Gray-sama are going to another restaurant; just the two of us! And no love rivals!"

"I told you already that I'm not your love rival!"

"We didn't even finish eating dinner..." Jellal smirked at Erza upon hearing this comment.

"Are your friends always like this?"

"Sadly, this happens almost every year," Erza muttered. "I hope nothing goes wrong tomorrow..."

Jellal put his finger to her lip. "Your play is going to be just fine. You worked very hard on it."

Hearing this seemed to lighten her mood. "I hope you're right."

Their moment was interrupted by a camera flash not too far away from them.

"Who's there?" Erza pulled out a long hairpin from her red locks and threw it in the direction of the harsh light that appeared before them.

"Shit..."

"Show yourself."

"Now, now, Erza," Jellal shuddered at the thought of what his girlfriend was going to do next. Surprisingly, a large figure stepped out from behind the fence he was hiding in. A camera was strapped to his neck.

Jellal stared at the man in shock. "Richard?!"

The man began to run, attempting to avoid the couple's grasp.

"Hey!" Erza began to sprint after him as Jellal returned to pick up Erza's discarded hairpin and stared after them in disbelief. Then, he too, ran.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

 **A/N:** **Late update again. :( I am so behind on this story...**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

Erza casually walked across the student council lounge while carrying a tray of her breakfast to reach Lucy and Bisca, who were seated to the far right of the room. Tonight was going to be real special; hopefully the play would run smoothly.

"Good morning, Erza-san." Bisca waved at her friend in delight and Lucy smiled.

As Erza neared her friends, they moved over a couple inches, creating a space for her to sit.

"I am so nervous for tonight's play!", tugged on her pink skirt in attempt to squeeze out her eagerness; quite literally.

"Lucy, I'm sure it'll be a blast." Bisca had tried so hard to keep herself from laughing, but a small giggle managed to sneak through her lips.

Erza grinned at her friends. "No worries. With everyone's cooperation, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."

"I'm not sure about Natsu, though. He wrecks havoc almost anywhere!" Lucy eyed her boyfriend sitting at the other table where Natsu sat with Gray and Elfman.

Bisca nodded in agreement. "Speaking of which, I am surprised that the principal allowed everyone participating in this year's play to eat breakfast in the student council lounge. You sure are good at talking people into things."

"It's a reward for all our hard work. Student council privileges; enjoy it for now."

"You're quite the doting president, Erza."

"Shut up!" Erza began to laugh at Lucy's remark.

"Oh c'mon Ever; it isn't manly!"

There was no doubt that it was Elfman talking. The girls turned their heads towards the commotion; it appeared to be so that Evergreen and Elfman were arguing; nothing new.

"Quiet, you!" Evergreen drew her fan and slapped Elfman with it. "I can't stand listening to that nonsense anymore! Man this, man that! It annoys me!"

"A fight? Let me join in!", Natsu roared, only to be stopped by Erza pulling on his scarf.

"Are you off your rockers? This is the student council lounge!"

"It is?"

Lucy face palmed and Bisca giggled uncontrollably. "He sure is something..."

"And Evergreen," Erza continued and pulled out a pink stack of papers from her pocket, tearing a clean sheet from the top. "One more hit inflicted on anyone else, or I'm writing you up for it."

"Oh please, all you can do is 'write people up'. Is that all you can do?", Evergreen spat and smirked. She turned and slapped Elfman with her fan once more.

Erza frowned; remembering that she shouldn't let Evergreen get to her, she refrained from the strong desire to fight back and wrote Evergreen's name on the pink slip, as well as the reason why she was receiving it. She then handed it to Evergreen, clearly paralyzed with shock.

"If that's the case, I'm sure you're okay with this."

She handed the pink slip to Evergreen. With everyone watching her, Evergreen's cheeks flushed as she angrily stomped towards the exit of the student council lounge.

Lucy let out a shaky laugh. "I guess that's that. I still don't understand why she came here in the first place."

Erza quirked an eyebrow at Lucy. "I thought that she was part of the stage crew..."

"Really? As far as I'm concerned, she hasn't been showing up to practice majority of the time, so I took her off the roster."

"Is that so? You're right then; she shouldn't have been here."

"I'm sorry for the intrusion," Bisca entered their conversation without warning. "But has anyone seen Mira?"

"Bisca's got a point..." Lucy scanned the lounge for her. "She most definitely isn't here."

"I'm going to check on her; she might be in our room," Erza proceeded to walk towards the exit, and towards their dorm.

...

"Mira?" Erza peeked through the door before she entered the room.

"Over here..." Erza heard Mirajane's voice croak from the bathroom. That was strange; her voice was usually so jubilant and full of excitement.

She walked over to the door that separated them and knocked. "Can I come in?"

"No! I mean- you can't... Unless you want to see the tragedy that has dawned upon my face!", she wailed in distress. Erza could've sworn that she heard the small whimpers that escaped from Mirajane's mouth.

"Mira, let me in." Erza turned the knob; to her surprise, it had been unlocked all along. There sat Mirajane; her head was concealed by a pink bed sheet.

"Hey, what-"

"I'm ruined!" Mirajane moved her hands over her head in attempt to anchor the bed sheet.

"Something wrong?"

"Well..." Mirajane sighed. "I just want to be left alone."

"Mira, you can tell me anything."

"Promise you won't laugh?"

"I promise. Why would I ever laugh at you?"

Mirajane's grip on the cloth lessened and slid it off her head, revealing a large, pinkish-red smear that stretched halfway across her face. Erza couldn't muffle the gasp that she tried so hard to conceal.

"How did this happen?"

"I don't know! Well... actually, I think it has something to do with this..." Mirajane held up a green bottle filled with a white fluid.

"Really?" Erza brought up the bottle at eye level. "I've never seen this in your possession before. Where'd you get it from?"

"I got it from Laxus," Mirajane smiled weakly. It didn't last long; her choice of words portrayed the wrong message. Her smile transitioned to a frown seconds afterwards. Seeing the enraged look on Erza's face, she quickly tried to cover up for her boyfriend.

"I'm sure he didn't do this on purpose!"

"Nice backup story, but I'm not buying it."

...

Ever since Erza and Jellal's sighting of Richard, things have been quite sketchy between the members of Crime Sorciere. Richard, otherwise known as Hot-eye, hasn't been showing up to their scheduled club meetings. Even though the members claimed to have seen him in the corridors, it was the same result; he scurried away out of their line of sight; as if he was evading them.

"That Hot-eye! What the hell is he up to?", Angel scowled as she kicked the trash pail out of the way as she took a seat.

"I don't know; he's been avoiding us lately..." Midnight leaned against his chair. He was too busy to sit down, clearly thinking about Richard's odd behavior.

Ultear walked into the room with a cart equipped with glasses of water and snacks at its base. "Did I miss something?"

"Ultear!" Meredy ran and greeted her sister-figure with a tight hug.

"I thought you had to practice kendo today..."

"Initially yes, but Erza cancelled it and dashed off somewhere."

"What about Jellal?"

"He's... busy."

"With what?"

"Beats me..."

"Well... too bad for him; he's going to miss out on the beverages I brought dedicated to our year's worth of hard work. Say... where's Richard?"

The members of Crime Sorciere looked downcast, albeit Ultear's offer.

"Let's just say that he isn't here."

"Sure, we'll go with that," Racer wiped his mouth with the back of his hand after taking a sip of water. "Wanna go look for him?"

"Hold it," Ultear cleared her throat. "Jellal wants us to stay here and discuss our progress so far; even though he isn't here..."

"Fine, fine, fine, but make it snappy. I need to kick Richard's sorry ass."

"Watch your mouth, Sawyer!"

...

"Hold it, I have no idea what you're talking about, Erza."

Erza stood just outside of Laxus's dorm room, and niether of the seniors were standing down. Their heated argument had just begun.

"You ruined Mirajane!"

Laxus looked completely lost upon hearing Erza's story.

"What happened to her? Is she in her dorm?", Laxus gently pushed Erza aside and began to walk out the door, only to be pushed back by her.

"What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with _me_?"

"Yes!", Erza spat. "Mirajane... her face... You gave her some sort of... _thing_!"

Erza was too flustered to sweat the details. Laxus just stood there, still in a state of confusion, shook his head and passed the red head.

"I take it that something bad happened to Mirajane, correct?"

"...don't play dumb."

"The rumors are true; you truly are a stubborn one. Anyhow, I'm going to see my girlfriend... and you won't be stopping me a second time. I have no clue what is going on. I don't know what happened to her, but she is important to me, and I would never hurt her."

He strode out of the room, breaking eye contact with Erza, and left her there.

Erza stood there, aghast. She inspected the room before he stormed out without her consent. He had left everything where he had left it. Laxus didn't even bother to finish whatever task he was up to, nor did he bother to wait for Erza or close the door behind him.

"Perhaps this was all a hoax... If Laxus didn't do it... who did?", she muttered as she closed the door behind her.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

 **A/N:** **I don't have much to say about this story nowadays... XD Anyhow, enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

"There, that should do it."

Erza pulled away from Mirajane's face and stepped back to examine the efforts of her hard work. With the help of Lucy, Erza used make-up to cover up the mark that etched across Mirajane's face. It took them awhile to blend different skin tones to match Mirajane's; especially to make it the least noticeable as possible.

"At least that's covered..." Lucy sighed. "Try to be a little more careful next time."

"How do you feel, Mira?" Laxus strode over and took a look at his girlfriend's face. "Good thing that the mark isn't visible anymore."

Mirajane smiled and nodded. "Thank you; Erza, Lucy."

"Oh! It was nothing really", Lucy grinned. "At least you don't have to worry about it anymore for tonight's show..."

"Mira, I'm sorry but... May I have a word with Laxus?"

Mirajane looked at her in question as Lucy shrugged her shoulders, clearly as clueless as her friend as they watched them walk out of the room.

...

-"Listen; I'm sorry about accusing for what happened to Mira. I guess I overreacted..."

"Don't be."

"Where'd you get it from?"

"Huh?"

Erza sighed. "The cream."

"I gave that to her as a present on Valentine's Day, for the occasion... Initially, it wasn't my intention, but Evergreen insisted that it was a nice gift. I'm not sure what kind of things girls your age like these days, so I took it for granted."

"I see..."

"I don't know if Evergreen did this on purpose or not, but I'll have a talk with her later. I'm glad Mirajane is okay."

"Sounds like a plan."

...

"Come in."

Jellal stepped into the principal's office and took a seat across from Makarov.

"My, my, you're early today, Jellal."

"Principal Makarov, about the other day..."

Makarov laughed and waved his hand up and down in attempt to calm himself.

"I was aware that you would return to discuss this matter. How is Richard anyway?"

"The thing is," Jellal leaned forward and rested his chin on the palms of his hands. "Ever since we caught him lurking around behind us, he hasn't been coming to our meetings."

"I see... Avoid and evade, huh? In that case..." The principal stood up and walked across the room and towards a coffee machine and began to make a concoction of a caffeine-filled beverage for himself.

"I'll see if he is willing enough to come and have a small chit-chat with us. Everyone here is a family; if one of us is troubled, then we are all solemnly to blame."

"Thank you. I'll be going, then."

Jellal got up and began to walk out the door, but stopped upon hearing Makarov cleared his throat. "One more thing."

"What gives, principal Makarov?"

"Look out for Erza for me, will you?"

Jellal looked at him in question.

"I know how she usually carries on with her own little thing, but sometimes even the toughest figures need some sort of guidance and protection. Erza is like a daughter to me... With that said, do you promise to look after her for me? After you all graduate from Fairy Tail?"

Jellal nodded his head.

"Good. Off you go now."

...

Mirajane laughed. "Oh Erza, don't get too excited over it. I'm sure the play will run smoothly..."

"Sorry. I'm just so psyched for tonight!"

They walked towards the auditorium doors and immediately spotted their team on the stage, obviously preparing for the big event.

"Oh look! Erza! Mira! Hi~!"

"I see you're just as excited as Erza.", Mirajane giggled as she eyed her best friend.

Erza shook her head. "Can we get started right away?"

"Of course!" Lucy waved her hand at the stage crew and actors. "Everyone; in your positions!"

Mirajane left Erza's side and walked onto the stage and towards the back. It was a good thing that no one noticed the make-up on Mirajane's face.

"It's finally here!" Lucy bobbed up and down with excitement. "You won't believe how fast the tickets sold our future audience! It's going to be a full house tonight!"

"Yeah. All that's left is the dress-rehearsal and then it's the real deal."

They cut their conversation short as soon as the curtains swayed and pulled apart.

"Stop!" Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked in the direction of where the frantic voice was coming from. It was Lisanna.

"Natsu isn't here! There's no way we can start without anyone controlling the dragon props!"

A fiery-blaze aura filled Erza's eyes. "I'll be right back." She began to stomp towards the exit.

"H-hey now, Erza..." Lucy shuddered as she crouched behind the nearest chair.

"Hell, he's not getting out of this one; I assure you all."

Those were the last few words the rest of them had heard from Erza that afternoon.

 **A/N:** **Sorry that there wasn't much Jerza in here... I know how short this chapter was, but that's as far as it gets in this scene. The next chapter would be too long if I include this excerpt in it. Until then! xoxo**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

 **A/N:** **Starting August 21st, I will not be able to post more chapters. I will be on vacation/hiatus until September 6th or 7th. More chapters will be posted then :)**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

"Did you check his dorm room?"

"Already did. No sign of him though."

Lucy gripped her hair and balled her hands into fists. "What are we going to do?", she groaned.

"Well, we _could_ find a replacement until Natsu decides to show up." Lisanna shrugged her shoulders. "That's what I have in mind, but I believe in Natsu."

"This is all my fault!", Lucy wailed. "I should've known that with Natsu's bad memory it would come down to this..."

"Now, now, Lucy. It's alright. I'm sure we can find a replacement somewhere-"

"I got one!" Freed came running, cutting off Mirajane's soothing attempts completely. Behind his followed a tall, slim figure with... blue hair?

"Jellal?" Erza searched for an answer on his face, only to pick up nothing.

"I'll do my best." Jellal placed a quick peck on her cheek and followed Freed backstage.

"I'm envious now," Lucy chimed in with a smile plastered on her face. "Your boyfriend really cares about your well-being."

"Still," Erza let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm not so sure about this; let alone that I've never seen Jellal perform on stage before..."

"It'll be alright."

"Elf-niichan!" Lisanna squealed in delight and ran to greet her older brother.

"Elfman? What are you doing here?"

"I've come to support Mira!" He pumped his fist up into the year. "Jellal shall make up for Natsu's manliness tonight! That's a man!"

"Uh, I'm pretty sure that being a man has nothing to do with this..."

...

Lucy peeked through the curtains and nervously eyed the seat-filled auditorium. Tonight was jam-packed; everyone was determined to give it their all.

"We can do this. I just know it." Erza placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder as a sign of reassurance.

Lucy nodded. "Is everyone ready?"

The stage crew nodded thier heads as they finished the final touches of the backdrops. "All set.", they chorused in unison.

"Perfect. Principal Makarov should be giving his speech any moment now..."

As if it were on cue, the microphone screeched, in which everyone backstage and in the crowd covered their ears in response to the horrific noise.

Principal Makarov nervously laughed into the microphone. "Sorry about that! I guess I'm not very good at these things..."

The audience laughed along as if it were no big deal. Glad that he managed to pick up a good vibe, Principal Makarov continued onward with his speech.

"Welcome to tonight's annual play. Our students have worked really hard on this year's production, and I am very sure that you will all have a wonderful time watching them perform for all of you. Now, before I hog the mic all to myself," Makarov gestured to Lucy and Erza behind him. "I'd like to express my fullest gratitude to these young ladies right here, who have worked diligently on this project. Erza, Lucy, if you will."

Makarov stepped aside and handed over the microphone to Lucy. Erza noticed how Lucy's hand shook as she received the microphone from Makarov.

"H-hello, everyone." Lucy gave a weak smile to the crowd that sat before her, earning a few giggles from those in the audience.

"It was an honor to write this year's play; it has always been my dream to write stories in the future; the opportunity of writing a script for the school play never occurred to me until a few months ago! I thank all of you for coming to this year's play and watch our work come to life. Thanks to Erza, our president, who worked really hard to make this possible."

Lucy gave the microphone to Erza. "As student council president, I am honored to work with everyone who contributed to this presentation to you all. Without further ado... the show will start shortly."

Erza positioned the microphone back onto its stand and walked backstage with Lucy. Lucy then signaled Freed and Bixlow to pull the curtains aside, and Lyra began to sing while playing a soothing melody on her lyre.

...

[Much, much later...]

 _"Please save me, Frederick-sama! I have been captured by Julius!", Mirajane cried in distress._

 _Loke stood in the same spot, waiting for Gray to play his role not too far from now._

 _"My name is Julius!", said Gray as he strode over to Loke and Mirajane. "If you want to save the princess, you will have to defeat me!"_

 _..._

"Not bad..." Lucy murmured as the two men clashed with their 'swords'. "I have to say; Reedus did a wonderful job."

"Yeah," Erza gave her a satisfied grin. "Along with Gray's swordsmanship, this play is in the bag."

Back on stage, Loke and Gray continued their so-called 'battle':

 _"Ice-sword!" Gray yelled as he pulled out his 'sword' to take out Loke._

 _"Why you... I have ten swords." Loke pulled out five swords from each side of his cloak pocket and tossed them in a dagger-like way, causing Julius/Gray to run off._

 _..._

"Weak!", cried one of the audience members. "Don't run!", yelled another.

"Wait a minute..." Lucy tapped her chin with one of her fingers. "I'm pretty sure that wasn't in the script!"

"What?!" Erza was about to stand, only to be pulled by Lucy.

"Shh... There's nothing we can do about it now... It's up to them to cover up their own mistakes. The audience doesn't seem to know about this either."

"You're right..."

Lucy's reassurance didn't last for long. As soon as Erza began to settle into her chair again, they heard a loud scream at the entrance of the auditorium. All heads, including everyone on stage's gaze, looked towards the direction of the horrific noise.

Natsu began to run towards the stage. "JELLAL!"

"Idiot..." Lucy growled under her breath with a bright shade of pink covering her face.

Erza clenched her teeth and attempted to launch herself out her chair, and after the cherry-blossom-haired man. Lucy leapt onto Erza's leg; holding her down and refusing to let go. Still, Erza's amazing strength still allowed her to hobble towards him.

"Shit; Lucy, get off!"

"But you'll-"

"NOW!"

Lucy reluctantly dropped her act and remained on the floor while covering her head; she definitely didn't want to see what happened next.

"JELLAL!", Natsu roared as he jumped onto the stage. "YOU BACKSTABBING BASTARD!"

"Um... backstabbing?" Loke stared at Natsu in amusement. "I'm pretty sure that wasn't in the scri-"

Before he could finish his sentence of triumph, Natsu had punched him square in the face, causing Loke to stumble backwards in surprise and clutched his nose in pain.

"What realism!"

"Go get 'em... uh... calling him Natsu wouldn't be right, yes?"

"Still; Natsu is Natsu! I wonder what his stage name is, though..."

Several audience members' cheers stopped Erza from jumping into the scene. They seemed to have liked what they just saw.

"Oi, quit your whining and-"

Too late; Natsu struck Gray as well.

"HEY, THAT FUCKING HURT!"

"YOUR FACE PROVOKED ME, ICE PRINCESS!"

"HOW IS THAT LOGICAL, SHIT-FOR-BRAINS DRAGON?!"

...

Just backstage, another dispute was taking place.

"Well, that's my cue..." Jellal tugged the dragon costume he was wearing closer to his body and stepped towards a hatch; a tunnel that led to a hidden door on stage.

"W-wait, you can possibly go out there with Natsu on a rampage like that!" Laki pointed in the direction where Natsu and Gray's screams echoed throughout the auditorium.

"Gray mentioned the word 'dragon', right? That's when I come in. Besides, the crowd seems to be eating it up. I'm supposed to face them soon, anyway. Look at Mira; she's joined in as well!"

Sure enough, Mirajane, still tied with a rope, was egging Natsu and Gray on.

"Even so, I don't think Erza will be very happy with this."

Jellal peeked through a small hole left open to those backstage to see what's going on stage. He fixed his gaze on the front row, zooming in on Erza, he saw a faint smile on her face.

"She seems to be okay with it."

"Wha-?" Laki was cut off by Jellal's swift movement through the open space Freed and Bixlow created.

...

Being the first to notice Jellal took the stage, Mirajane shouted: "Oh-no! The dragon has arrived!"

 _Julius (Gray) looked up from his current fight with Natsu and stared at the dragon in shock._

 _"Fuck, it's the dragon!"_

Lucy performed a face palm as Erza threw Gray an icy-cold glare for swearing on stage. Knowing that she would kill him later, he gave her an apologetic look, only to be punched by Natsu once more.

 _"JELLAL!"_

"Wait a second... The dragon's name is Jellal?" One of the audience members shouted in surprise.

"Shh!"

 _"DAMN YOU, JELLAL! YOU STOLE MY PART!"_

 _"I am the mighty dragon," Jellal shouted."I have been summoned by the mighty Julius!"_

 _He looked expectantly at Julius (Gray). At first, he remained rooted to the same position, utterly in a state of bewilderment and shock._ Was this too much for him to handle?

 _The dragon tilted its head as if it were confused. "You summoned me, right?"After all, they weren't following the script anymore._

 _Before Gray could answer, Natsu charged after Jellal, and punched him square in the stomach. The dragon let out a small "Oof!" and stumbled backwards onto the floor. Natsu made a sharp turn on his heels, his toes pointed in the direction of where the dragon fell._

 _"GIVE IT BACK!"_

 _"I-" Before Jellal could say anything further, Natsu had charged into him, knocking Jellal off his feet. He could feel Laki attempting to pull on the strings from above to move him away from Natsu. He was simply too quick; Natsu continued to land blows on the costume that was once his._ Thank Mavis that there was a built-in cushion!

...

Erza half-heartedly watched on as she saw Natsu beating up Jellal, who remained on the ground. Her nails dug into the soft fabric of her seat. Oh, how she wanted to get up on stage and come to her boyfriend's aid, and beat Natsu senseless in front of everyone for his foolish actions. Lucy kept on glancing to her left, in hopes that Erza would remain seated at all times.

The audience watched as Gray struggled to get up from Natsu's heated punch. Loke had already freed Mirajane from the rope's clutches, and had to drag her aside to make sure that she didn't join the fray.

"Wow Erza and Lucy, this is... something...", Principal Makarov stuttered next to them. He shifted in his seat with unease and watch Natsu pounding the actors.

"I am so sorry, Principal Makarov," Lucy slouched in her seat. "We had no intentions of this."

"Oh no, no, no, I didn't mean it like that." Makarov smiled at Lucy's flabbergasted facial expression. "You see, this might as well be the liveliest play I've ever seen students put together!"

"But...", Erza began, but closed her own mouth as soon as she noticed the principal was about to speak.

"All I want is for you all to have fun. It's your last year in college, Erza, and you've grown so much ever since you've stepped foot on this campus. You've forgiven those who've hurt your friends, or even yourself. You have experienced a lot through your past years. Now, I know you're upset about Natsu and his rampage on stage, but look at the bright side; everyone seems to be enjoying it!"

It was when the crowd roared with excitement when Erza jolted her head to see what was happening on stage; Natsu, Loke, and Gray were sprawled on the ground, clutching their injuries. There Jellal stood, with Mirajane behind him, bowing to the audience. Erza and Lucy had been so busy listening to Makarov's advice that she paid almost no attention to what was happening on stage!

"The dragon won!"

"Wow, who would've thought?"

"Encore, encore!"

"Brilliant!"

Erza heard various positive comments left and right. She beamed with pride, glancing at her right, she saw Lucy force out a faint smile she had been hiding. "Geez, I really didn't expect that!"

The curtains began to close as Erza stood and gestured towards Lucy to follow her. They walked, unnoticed, by the audience and crept towards the door at the side of the stage that led to the back.

...

Natsu, Gray, and Loke leaned back into their chairs as the grumpy medical advisor tended to them. Natsu and Gray seemed to be quarreling about their past actions on stage as Loke attempted to flirt with Poluchka. Wendy rushed to the other side of the infirmary to fetch more ice as a request of the grumpy nurse, and she gladly did without delay.

"I don't know how you did it, but you managed to pull it off," Lucy smiled at the three, hoping to distract them from their rising feud.

"Oh please; the play would've been better without this guy." Gray pointed his thumb and Natsu and snickered.

"SAY THAT AGAIN!"

Poluchka stood and grabbed Natsu and Gray by their ears and they winced in pain.

"Must I remind you that this isn't a battle field?"

"Y-yes, ma'am!", they chorused.

Erza heard a chuckle just behind her, and she turned to face her boyfriend. His messy blue hair was just as cute as always; the only difference now was that a thin layer of sweat covered his body.

"Erza, I'm sorry."

"You did well," Erza blushed as she complimented her boyfriend. It was so hard to look at him with his one of his serious expressions.

He was left baffled for a few moments. "You're not mad?"

"You were the reason why the play turned out to be a success. Why would I be?"

"But-"

"It's okay."

Jellal couldn't help but pull his, yes, _his_ Erza into a light embrace. Erza tilted her head inward to the crook of Jellal's neck and let out a sigh of satisfaction. Jellal shifted his gaze to Erza's beautiful, legendary scarlet hair, and combed his fingers through the red string-like structures.

"Everything is alright."

 **A/N:** **Again, this is the last chapter that I am posting before my leave of absence. However, this is NOT the last chapter for this fanfiction. I'll be back in a few weeks time. Until then! :) Thank you for reading, and please review :D**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

 **A/N:** **Back from vacation :) The time difference between the U.S and China is really getting to me though. *sips coffee***

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

It was then he realized that maybe that it would be for the best...

Richard (also known as Hot-eye) took a deep breath before stepping into the room where Crime Sorcière usually met. He expected angry shouts from his classmates and friends, only to be warmly greeted by the members that were present, otherwise scolded by others. Alas, Jellal made his way towards Hot-eye.

"Welcome back." Jellal held out his hand, expecting Hot-eye to take it.

Hot-eye took an uncomfortable, shaky step back despite Jellal's warm gesture. He kneeled down instead.

"I'm so sorry! I don't think you'll ever forgive me..."

Jellal put his hand up, brought it down on Richard's back, helped him up, and led him across the room.

"It's quite alright. I'm sure Erza will forgive you too; at least I hope so..."

This was not what Hot-eye had in mind; he was so sure that everyone would be so furious and disappointed in him. Not to mention that he also gulped at the thought of Erza beating him down to a pulp...

"Hot-eye."

Racer placed a hand on Richard's right shoulder.

"Don't think that I'm going to let you off so easily. I'm going to kick your ass somehow sooner or later."

Hot-eye smiled weakly. "Sorry for being such a jerk..."

...

"Erza!"

Gray appeared behind her kendo stick at hand, sweating and panting altogether.

"Gray," she acknowledged him. "Where is Freed? Practice is about to start."

Gray shrugged. "He said something about looking for his kendo stick-"

Before he could continue, Erza had pointed out to him that his clothes 'went missing'.

"Crap!"

"Go ahead and change. We're preparing for the annual state championship games, not strip poker," she said as she glared at him in the process. Gray then ran; covering as much of his exposed skin as he could.

Erza walked further through the hallway, making a right turn to meet with the rest of the kendo team. Gajeel was busy lecturing Meredy tips for kendo as other members were warming up. She whistled, gaining everyone's attention and the room became silent.

"Thank you," she said as Freed and Gray just entered the gymnasium. "As you all know, we've been working very hard for the games this year. Since this is our last week of practice together, I would like to announce the following line-up for this year's kendo tournament."

Erza held up a sheet of paper she held, and unfolded it as several onlookers watched with intent. Only five members per college would participate. Three made up the main body, and there were going to be two others who would act as the team's alternates.

"Gajeel, Freed, and yours truly," Erza pointed to herself indicating that she was participating, causing many to cheer and woo in amazement.

"I would like to announce the following two members who will be the next alternates; Gray and Meredy."

"But... I'm still learning!", Meredy protested as her arms flailed in the air. "I still can't even win a sparring match yet!"

"No 'but's'. I have absolute faith in all of you," she continued. "Meredy, you are more than ready for this tournament, even if you may not compete. Don't be nervous; we are all here or you. Everyone in Fairy Tail University is like family. No... Not 'like' family... We _are_ family."

Meredy sat in silence, gaping at Erza. She looked as if she was about to cry out at any moment. Finally, she managed a hoarse "What if I fail?"

"Meredy, I believe in you, and so does Jellal." There were murmurs of excitement upon hearing his name.

In response to Meredy's continuous shock, she added; "Yes, he's told me about how hard you practice every day. Just look; Freed, Gray, and Laki didn't show up much this year because of the play, but they still practiced despite not being able to come here. I know that you've been so focused on Crime Sorcière, but you never found it as an excuse for not practicing, am I right?"

Meredy slowly nodded her head. "Thank you, Erza."

"Now that's settled... I want you all to spar with one another based on last week's match-ups..."

She walked around the room helping others who were still having trouble.

"You'll be okay," she later told Meredy. "You've worked very hard for this. You can just relax and watch us during the matches if otherwise."

Meredy smiled at Erza and walked towards her next opponent as Gajeel blew the whistle.

...

Many, many hours later, another student was also having doubts.

"Are you sure about this?" Hot-eye wiped the sweat gathering in his eyebrows and upper forehead. Dear Mavis; he was so nervous even though the real thing hasn't started yet!

"It'll be okay. Knowing Erza, she would understand, even if it takes time. Just knock on the door and be yourself. I'll be there to defend you, though I think that it is extremely unlikely. Just tell her what you told me and you'll be fine."

Hot-eye nodded to Jellal. He walked up, nervous, and knocked.

The door opened almost instantly. Before he had noticed Mirajane standing at the entrance, he braced himself for the worst case scenario; yes, that meant a very skilled scarlet-haired woman launching herself onto him in anger. He deserved it, or so he thought...

"Jellal! This is unexpected. Who's this?"

"Hi Mira. This is Hot-eye, or Richard. We're here to pay Erza a visit. You see, it's very important..."

"It's a pleasure, Richard. I almost forgot; if you're looking for Erza, you just missed her. She just went out to purchase strawberry cake after a long day of practice, but she should be back in a few minutes; unless she decides to buy more sweets of course. Care to sit down for a bit?"

 **A/N:** **Sorry for the cliff-hanger... Stay tuned :P**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

 **A/N:** **School is back in session... that means less frequent updates. *gasps***

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

Hot-eye was relieved to see how exhausted Erza looked by the time she returned. Judging by the grocery bags in her hand, he was so sure that she would've thrown them at him.

The room grew silent just as Erza made eye-contact with Hot-eye.

"I'll be back in a bit," Mirajane called as she stepped through the door.

"No! I mean... you don't have to just because of us," Jellal added quickly.

Mirajane shook her head. "I was planning to make my leave after Erza returned. I don't want to hear of be a part of any of this... in truth."

The door closed behind her, leaving them prisoner in the dorm.

Jellal watched Hot-eye, expecting him to begin his confession.

"Richard?"

"O-oh... yes. Sorry. About the other day..."

Erza perked up from where she was seated and glared at him. "How can I not forget?"

"Erza, please..." Jellal begged as he pulled her gently back onto the couch. "Save your questions for later. Let him explain himself."

"Whose side are you on?"

"My own."

Erza huffed as she put some distance between her and Jellal.

"I honestly don't know how to start..." Hot-eye shifted uncomfortably on the couch across from them.

"You can start with why you've been sneaking around us with a camera strapped around your neck." Her eyes trailed from Hot-eye to Jellal in question.

"Well," Hot-eye gulped. "I think it would be best to start from the beginning," he said as cautiously as he could, and hoped that he wouldn't anger the red-head much more than he already had. Sensing no sign of tension anymore, his grip on the couch lessened, and he continued to speak.

...

 _"How on earthland are we going raise enough money for this sort of thing?" Angel pounded her fist onto the table with impatience._

 _"With love! Yes!"_

 _"Shut up, Hoteye," Cobra propped himself against a wall. "There's no way you can earn money with love."_

 _"Everyone, we aren't here to argue about this matter." Ultear stood from her chair. "I'm sure that we all have some sort of idea. Respect each other."_

 _"We could start a fundraiser," Meredy shrugged. "I can't say if it's going to be successful or not..."_

 _"Sorry, but I cannot agree with that."_

 _"Racer, if you're going to lecture us about raising money faster, then I don't want to hear about it."_

 _"Why not, Meredy?"_

 _Jellal smiled. "This may be a bit strange, but why can't we all just get jobs?"_

 _Ultear smirked. "That's a wonderful idea, but you have a girlfriend to spend time with."_

 _Meredy giggled with amusement as Jellal blushed._

 _"Oh please," Cobra scoffed. "Don't tell me that we're gonna have to do all the work now!"_

 _The rest of Crime Sorcière began to argue back and forth on how they were going to manage their economic crisis. On the other hand, Hot-eye quietly remained in his seated position and paid no mind to his friends' argument. Get a job? That was almost impossible for a man with so many sins to count... so many criminal records, that is._

 _"Well, I think we should settle this with a vote. Who thinks that we should all get jobs?"_

 _Jellal, Ultear, Meredy, Racer, and Midnight raised their hands in response to Meredy's question._

 _"Well, that settles it," Ultear declared while rubbing her hands together._

 _"But it's too much work!" Angel complained._

 _"Get a grip, Solano. Life is all about work."_

 _"...life is so cruel."_

 _"I know."_

 _"Ahem," Jellal cleared his throat and looked at everyone expectantly. "I believe that it would be better to just do what you think will be the best method for yourself. Those of you who want to get jobs; do it. And if you want to try something else; go for it."_

 _There were several murmurs of agreement._

 _"Now that's an idea I can get behind," said Racer._

 _"As expected of our club president," Cobra remarked._

 _..._

 _"I don't think I'll be able to pull this off, Midnight."_

 _"Mhm..." Midnight's eyes trailed from his food to Hot-eye. "What gives?"_

 _"I don't think anyone would want to hire a sinner," Hot-eye said. "I even killed someone for the purpose of money! It's absurd."_

 _"Hey, I'm not very fond of this concept, but don't forget that if it weren't for Jellal, you still would be sitting behind bars by now... Why not work for Jason? He pays his 'employees' well."_

 _"I don't think that counts as a real job. It's a school organization..."_

 _"I'm giving you options."_

 _"Okay, okay, I'll do it."_

 _..._

 _Richard sat in front of a flat screened computer as he tweaked the article he was working on. He was in the middle of saving the article when someone knocked on the door of his dorm. He stood up and stretched before he answered it._

 _A blue-haired girl with a camera connected to a strap that hung around her neck stood at the doorway. She seemed to have a troubled look on her face._

 _"Hot-eye, right? Sorry, it's just that you're a new member in this organization."_

 _"Yes, and it's quite alright. Do you have the photos for the article we're supposed to be working on?"_

 _"A-actually, Juvia has a few extra photos to share with this week's magazine, but Jason doesn't seem to like them."_

 _Hot-eye hesitated when Juvia handed him her camera. He took it and allowed his eyes and fingers to do their work as he browsed through the photos Juvia took. That was the day of his so-called devoted labor..._

 _..._

Erza leaned on Jellal's shoulder as she stared at Hot-eye in disbelief.

"How did you end up agreeing to something like that?"

Hot-eye sighed. "I'm sorry, but I was just so desperate... I wish I could just take it all back; to start over."

"I've heard of that somewhere before," Erza smiled at Jellal and poked his cheek teasingly. "You make a good role-model."

Jellal poked her cheek back in the response to her's. "Anyone would say that if they truly regret what they've done."

"There's just one thing I have to mention before you continue," Erza said to Hot-eye. "Actually, you may not have to continue at all."

Hot-eye scratched his chin in confusion. "I-I don't understand." Jellal and Hot-eye exchanged looks.

Erza grinned; after all, they didn't know about this.

"You see, Juvia came to see me a few days after I tried to track you down. She told me that it wasn't your fault; she was the one who had offered you extra money if you bent the rules a bit, and you did. Turns out it was for all for the purpose of protecting Gray."

"Protecting Gray? What's the meaning of all this?"

"Let's just say that Juvia is overly possessive of her beloved Gray," Erza laughed. "She thought that something was going on between us; of course she'd do something like this."

Hot-eye facepalmed. Erza was right; no wonder why Juvia sounded so desperate!

"A week after you ran off with me and Jellal on your tail, Juvia must've panicked. She paid me a visit and told me that she was the one who printed the magazines; you just edited them, am I right?"

Hot-eye nodded his head.

"Erza-san, I was so sure that you would be furious with me... aren't you angry?"

"I would be if it was a more serious matter. However, you did manage to break some of our rules here at F.T.U, so punishment can be considered in the process of your atonement."

"I accept any punishment you give me," Hot-eye sighed in relief.

"That is not for me to decide, Richard." Erza said.

"It's okay," Jellal gave Hot-eye a quick thumbs up. "We'll just go to Principal Makarov's office later... as soon as we make an appointment. We could do it right now if you'd like."

Hot-eye stood as he shook his head. "It's fine; I can manage this on my own. I don't want to be a burden to you."

"You're not a burden to us, Richard. Jellal and I can accompany you."

"No, really, I can do this myself." Hot-eye smiled and left the room.

"Are you going with him?"

"No, I have faith in Richard. There's no way he wouldn't tell Makarov about his situation. Besides, he is well aware of what Richard has been doing this entire time."

Erza smiled. "Your intellect never ceases to amaze me."

She yelped as Jellal hugged her waist from behind; his chin rested on her left shoulder.

"Are you ready for the games next week?"

"Mhm..."

"Are you going to use the kendo stick I got you?"

"And what if I don't?"

"Then I won't let you go until you say that you will," Jellal whispered. "No; I would never let you go even if you say it."

"What choice do I have then?" Erza said teasingly before Jellal sealed his promise with a kiss...

 **A/N:** **Hope you enjoyed it! Reviews are always welcome :) Thank you!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

 **A/N:** **My usual excuse: school. It's the truth, so don't question it :( Yes, I am alive, thank you.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

"Cool! Cool! Cool!" Jason yelled at the top of his lungs as he watched Erza corner her opponent with her kendo stick at hand.

"Uh... I know we're allowed to cheer her on, but isn't this a bit much?" Lucy asked with a tone of exasperation from his continuous deafening shouts coming from her right.

"Right you are, Lucy! Cool! Have you gathered enough information for our exclusive article?"

Lucy handed him her clipboard. "All done, senpai."

"The winner is Erza Scarlet from Fairy Tail University!" The referee shouted for all to hear after blowing the whistle to indicate that the match was over. The other referees scurried to the board and added two points to F.T.U's column. Everyone began to cheer and clap their hands as Erza bowed to her opponent.

"COOL! COOL! COOOOOL!" Jason yelled louder than ever before with Lucy covering her ears beside him. Jellal couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction.

"Is he usually like this?"

"Only during the games," Lucy sighed in relief once Jason finished shouting. "He especially gets excited during the kendo tournament. I have to deal with this every year."

"That's a shame."

"Yeah... but it's worth watching Erza compete."

"When did Erza start practicing kendo? I don't remember her engaging in that sport for as long as I can remember." He watched his girlfriend on the bench twisting the cap off her water bottle to quench her thirst.

"I'm not sure actually... You see, I met Erza during our first year of college, and she seemed like a natural whenever I watched her spar with someone. Natsu and Gray knew her since middle school, but they never told me that she practiced kendo back then either."

"Have you ever asked her about it?"

"I did once, but then she gets a little... too descriptive. You'll have to have a lot of endurance to listen until the very end."

"Sounds like something she would do. I'll be back," he said as soon as he noticed Erza's gaze heading towards his direction.

He walked down the bleacher's steps towards ground level to meet with his beloved.

"Hi," he greeted her with an awkward tone almost wishing that he could've said it differently.

Erza smiled. "Hello."

"I watched your match."

Duh.

Erza laughed while still panting for breath. "Why do you seem so nervous?"

"I'm not nervous. That aside, do you need a towel?" he asked as he eyed the sweat sparkling on her skin.

"It's fine. I'm taking a shower after the tournament anyway," Erza shrugged as she stated this.

"You have another match?"

"No, but I'd like to stay and see how the rest of my team is doing."

"I figured."

"How is Richard doing?"

"I saw him cleaning and picking up trash from the aisles earlier; he seemed to be doing okay."

"That's good to hear. How's your club holding out on their fundraiser?"

"I haven't checked on them yet; I'll drop by the stand later."

"You know, you never told me what exactly you're trying to raise money for..."

"You'll find out after graduation," he smiled at Erza's confused look, only to be wiped off her face when a familiar voice chimed behind her.

"Men~"

 _Oh dear Mavis, please no..._ Erza was too afraid to turn around to face _him._

"I caught a whiff of that legendary of your parfum, Erza-san. Men~"

His words sent a chill down her spine, and she remained rooted to her current position, not knowing of what to do next.

"My dear honey, we can go places," Ichiya said as he made a few disturbing gestures with his body. Jellal could sense Erza's restless aura surrounding her, but he didn't laugh this time. He noticed how uncomfortable she was in this man's presence, and decided to take action in order to get out of harm's way.

"Hello," Jellal greeted Ichiya with a smile. "I'm Jellal. Who are you?"

Wow, nice going Jellal.

"Men~" Ichiya spinned in place as he said this. "I am... Erza's one and only."

Jellal mentally rolled his eyes as he stared at the man. He definitely had no shame!

"That's a very vague way of putting it, don't you think?"

"Men~"

This 'conversation' certainly wasn't getting them anywhere.

Erza helplessly stared at Jellal in question; god it was so hard to not laugh at her that moment, for she usually portrayed herself as a tough and fearless women.

"I forgot; Erza needs to get going now. You know..." Jellal indicated the current match taking place on the kendo field.

"I'll be willing to cheer my honey on," he said, but Erza cringed at his statement.

"Actually, I meant the bathroom," Jellal winked at Erza.

"Men~ I'm more than capable of escorting her... to bed."

Erza coughed when hearing this while taking a sip of water. Jellal took her hand and dragged her away from the perverted man.

"Well," Jellal began. "I can see that Erza really needs to use the toilet now... It was nice meeting you."

Yeah right.

With that, he pulled on Erza's arm, and they dashed off out of Ichiya's sight.

"Wait for me, men!", Ichiya yelled after them, but clearly wasn't a fast runner.

The couple made a sharp turn around the bleachers and towards the restrooms.

"I can't believe you," Erza huffed. "The old 'I-have-to-pee-excuse'? You're terrible at lying, Jellal."

"I'm sorry, but I was quite alarmed about how you were tolerating his very existance."

Erza sighed. "I thought I was going to faint back there. You're lucky that his oblivion got the best of him."

"I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for? I was just about to thank you for saving me from that creep. You've been apologizing to me ever since we've reunited... I can't help but say that I'm tired of it. You haven't hurt me since."

"You're always right," Jellal whispered as Erza's back pressed against the wall.

Erza smiled. "That's not true. In my own clumsy way, I live my life to its fullest."

Jellal leaned in to capture her lips, only to be interrupted by a metal bucket clattering onto the floor with a wet mop joining it shortly thereafter. Jellal jumped back, startled, and looked at Ultear. Erza blushed profusely due to the fact that they were 'caught' red handed.

"Oops... my bad," she said as she smirked. "Richard! Get the camera; quick!"

Ultear laughed as she ran off with Jellal hollering after her.

Jellal sighed. "She even left her cleaning supplies behind. If she returns for them, we'll get her back."

Erza let out a shaky laugh. "Revenge?"

"No," Jellal turned and kissed her while holding her close.

"Redemption," he said as he pulled away from her.

 **A/N:** **I tried T-T I hope you liked this chapter... Beware for more slow updates on all my stories. *cries* 'till then!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

 **A/N:** **Back :) Almost done with this story :D**

 **Disclaimer:** **I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL- IT BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

 _"Erza," Jellal inhaled. "Forget about what I said to you about the dance."_

 _"W-what do you mean? Jellal, are you alright?" Erza attempted to ask._

 _"JUST GO AND FIND SOMEONE ELSE!", Jellal screamed._

 _Tears began to slide down her cheeks and she began to run as fast as her legs could carry her, not wanting to hear the next few words that would escape from his lips. As she continued to run farther and farther, she bumped into a dark-haired boy._

 _"Erza?" Simon stared at her; shocked, and was able to pick up her emotional status._

 _"Hi... Simon," Erza replied as she quickly wiped the tears sliding down her cheeks. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed with the rest of our class?"_

 _"I..." Simon blushed. "I was waiting for you. Where is Jellal?", he asked reluctantly._

 _"Who needs him? I certainly don't," Erza huffed as she walked away from him. Simon stood, dumbfounded, and gawked at Erza. She didn't really mean it, did she?_

 _"Did something happen?", he asked cautiously after running behind her._

 _"No, I mean, yes," she sighed. "I guess it's what you call a 'break-up'."_

 _Simon couldn't believe his ears; Jellal and Erza actually dissolved their relationship; just like that!_

 _"Does that mean...?"_

 _"Yes," she responded automatically._

 _Simon frowned. As much as he felt happy that Erza was now free of Jellal's grasp, he wasn't very fond of how she was coping with the situation._

 _"What are you going to do now?"_

 _"I don't think I'm going anymore."_

 _"The dance?"_

 _"Yeah..."_

 _"Wait," Simon grabbed her hand. "There's another way through this."_

 _Erza turned to face him. "Simon..."_

 _Simon took a deep breath. "Erza, will you go to the dance with me?"_

 _..._

 _As the event progressed, Erza watched Ultear drag Jellal around like a ragdoll, not taking notice of his discomfort. She was trying so hard to stop herself from crying. Even if she did find herself a new 'date', no one could ever fully replace him._

 _"Is there something on your mind?"_

 _Erza glanced at Simon. "It's nothing."_

 _Simon stared at her a little longer, and turned his head back down to gaze at his feet._

 _"Do you still like him?"_

 _"What makes you think that?" Erza gasped in surprise while blushing._

 _Simon shrugged. "Just a hunch."_

 _It hurt him to see how Erza was taking this in. Jellal glanced in Erza's direction; oh, how he wished that she was still his date! Her gaze met his, and they quickly turned their heads away from each other._

 _"Jellal, open wide~", Ultear said as she prepared to dip a spoonful of pudding into his mouth. He reluctantly did, and immediately regretted it when he noticed a flash of red hair passing by him with Simon running behind his crush._

 _Ultear smirked. "Gee, I wonder what happened to her!"_

 _Milliana paused at the exit. "I'm going to check on Er-chan, okay?" She continued to run after her friend._

 _Simon glared at Ultear and Jellal. "You think this is a joke?!"_

 _Wally and Sho were now standing next to an angry Simon._

 _"Why did you do that to big sister?"_

 _"I don't know what you're talking about. Get lost." Jellal found himself saying._

 _"Friend or not, I'm not letting that slide." Simon's heated gaze was bearing down on Jellal. He lunged forward, successfully tackling Jellal and pinning him underneath. Jellal managed to flip on top of him; both boys were panting, but neither was backing down. A small crowd of students surrounded them as they shouted in excitement._

 _"I don't know what your intention is," Simon said as he growled through his teeth. "But leave Erza out of this!"_

 _"Sure. She's happier with you anyway."_

 _"You-!"_

 _Simon somehow grabbed hold of Jellal's arm. Grasping it tightly, he threw Jellal off of him and continued to wrestle his nemesis for dominance._

 _"You don't deserve her."_

 _"You're right."_

 _Simon threw his fist which landed on Jellal's bottom lip and chin, splitting his skin open and allowed blood to pour out. Jellal didn't wince or howl in pain much to his amazement. Simon could hear the ear piercing, high-pitched screams coming from his classmates as they watched the boys struggling amongst themselves. Wally was yelling at him; well, everyone was. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sho crying as he watched on with great fear. It was true that Simon had never acted so violent in front of his entire class, but he didn't care right now. All he wanted was to punish Jellal for what he had done._

 _"CEASE THIS AT ONCE!", a new, yet familiar voice roared._

 _People stepped aside to let their teacher pass by. He beckoned them with his finger._

 _"You, you, you, and... you," He adressed Simon, Jellal, Ultear, and Sho._

 _"But Mr. Totomaru, Sho has nothing to do with-", Wally tried to reason._

 _"I said enough, Waldo."_

 _"Yes sir," Wally responded. "Although my name isn't Waldo..."_

 _..._

 _"Oh Mr. Totomaru, it was terrible! Simon just got mad because Jellal ate the last of the chocolate pudding! Can't you believe it? He was fighting all because of pudding!"_

 _"That isn't true! There was still pudding left, and that isn't something worth getting angry about in that case!", Simon protested._

 _"Sho?"_

 _"Y-yes, Mr. Totomaru?"_

 _Ultear glared at Sho in the process._

 _"What happened?"_

 _Feeling Ultear's dark aura, he shook his head and buried it in his hands._

 _"Pudding has nothing to do with it, and Simon didn't start the fight," Sho replied weakly._

 _"Sir, I advise you; there is no pudding left if you check the table," Ultear smirked."Also, Sho and Simon are friends. Wouldn't it be biased to ask HIM?"_

 _"Ultear, you're talking out of turn. Perhaps it's one of the many reasons why you weren't able to proceed to junior high last year?", Totomaru countered against her sternly._

 _Ultear scowled and flopped back onto her chair and sent death-glares to those who stared at her._

 _"Jellal," Totomaru eyed the blue-haired boy. Jellal already knew what this meant._

 _"Mr. Totomaru, Ultear is right. Simon lost his temper over pudding."_

 _Totomaru sighed. "I'll let it go this time. I don't want this to happen ever again. Am I clear?"_

 _The students nodded their heads._

 _"Good. You're all dismissed. Jellal and Simon, you are prohibited from returning to the dance. Go upstairs to class. I'd like a word."_

 _"But-"_

 _"No 'buts', Ultear."_

 _One by one, the students filed out of the room with Jellal, Simon, and Totomaru heading upstairs._

 _Totomaru stopped at the door as he opened it for his students._

 _"I'll be back in a minute. If anything starts between you two, you'll both get suspended for a week."_

 _"Yes Mr. Totomaru," they muttered in unison._

 _"The door is unlocked," he said as he walked away._

 _The boys entered their classroom without looking at one another, but both their gazes have fallen onto a red-haired girl being comforted by another with a cat-eared headband._

 _Erza looked up upon hearing the boys enter and immediately stopped her silent sobs. She glared at Jellal and turned away from him._

 _"Erza, I am so-" Jellal began, only to be cut off by Simon._

 _"Stop. Don't even try; you've already done enough," Simon warned._

 _Milliana wrapped her arms around Erza in hopes of calming her friend down, and Simon joined in shortly after. All that Jellal could do was watch. If only he hadn't agreed to these terms, things wouldn't have turned out like this._

 _..._

 _Graduation. It couldn't have been any worse._

 _During the awards ceremony, Ultear continued to taunt Erza about what had happened a few months prior. Ultear further embarrassed Simon by sticking out her foot to trip him as he walked down the aisle. Her goons laughed and made jokes at him, while other graduates stared helplessly at their classmate. Albeit Ultear's dirty trick, Simon's deathly glare only made way for Jellal._

 _..._

 _It was two summers after their graduation when Simon's parents decided that he and his family should move._

 _"Wow, it's so pretty..." Erza stared at the diamond-shaped silver earings in awe. "Are you sure I can have them?"_

 _"I've never been surer in my entire life," Simon beamed at her._

 _"But... I can't believe you're moving," Erza looked downcast. "You've always been there for me, you know?"_

 _"I'm sorry, Erza." Simon was about to step forward to comfort her._

 _"I'll be okay, she smiled. This isn't good-bye," she smiled while blindly warming his heart."We'll see each other again soon, right?"_

 _Simon smiled back at her. "Yeah."_

 _"U-um... Can I...?" Erza reached into the box that contained her treasured gift from her best friend. Simon laughed. "Of course you can."_

 _After replacing her previous earrings with her new ones, they walked around the neighborhood in silence. The air was crisp, and there was a light breeze that blew against them as they walked. Erza stopped in her tracks when they reached Simon's home. They could already spot Simon's parents loading their car with their remaining possessions. As soon as Simon's dad closed the trunk, Simon's mother spotted the children and waved at them with a smile along with a hint of sadness in her eyes._

 _"Well," Simon swallowed. "I guess it's time to take my leave..."_

 _Erza looked downcast upon hearing this. "Oh... I guess so."_

 _"Erza-chan," Simon's mother began. "You're a sweet and wonderful girl. Don't worry; you and Simon will be able to see each other again soon. Maybe this weekend. Count on it!"_

 _"Thank you Mrs. Mikazuchi," Erza replied with a smile on her face. After all, Simon's mom kept all of her promises._

 _"I'll see you around, Erza." Simon pulled Erza into a hug._

 _"You're the best, Simon."_

 _With a final wave, Erza watched as Simon and his parents made their way towards their new home._

 _..._

 _It was soon that she learned of the tragedy a few days later. Erza was eating her breakfast with her family when the phone began to ring. Erza's father stood and walked away from the table to retrieve the phone._

 _"Hello, how may I help you?" There was a long pause. His face turned white as he lowered the phone to his chest. "Honey?"_

 _Erza's mom perked up from the table. "What happened, dear?" She set down her utensils and walked into the same room as her husband while he closed the door behind them._

 _Erza continued to chew on her pancakes slowly as she curiously stared after her parents. What where they talking about just now?_

 _The adults soon emerged from the room; both looked as if they were going to faint. Erza couldn't help but notice that her dad was constantly wiping his brow with a handkerchief._

 _"Mom? Dad? What just happened? Who was on the phone with you?"_

 _"Erza." Her father said cautiously. "I'm afraid you won't be able to see Simon this weekend as planned."_

 _"What?!" Erza stared at her parents in disbelief. "What happened?"_

 _He sighed as Erza's mother began to cry. As he wrapped his arm around her and beckoned Erza to hug him as well. "It's alright, sweetheart. Don't be sad..."_

 _..._

 _Why? Why did it come down to this? Erza's heart was heavy when she heard her dad reveal what had happened. Simon and his parents were gone._

 _Gone..._

 _"A terrible incident has happened on the road," she heard._

 _"No... it was the other driver's fault. He was drunk. And then..."_

 _Erza couldn't hold back her tears. She sobbed into her dad's sleeve. She couldn't believe that her best friend was gone. Everything went black. Simon was there for her every time and he was the one who had comforted her when Jellal had left her. Just like Jellal, he was out of reach._

 _Jellal._

 _Why now? She didn't want to think about that stupid bastard. Thinking of him would only make her mood dampen even more. But she couldn't help it. Before Simon, Jellal was the one to comfort her in times of darkness._

 _Alas, her emotions got the best of her, and she began to cry harder than ever before._

 **A/N:** **As usual, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I am EXTREMELY busy with school at the moment, but I will try my very best finish this story and update as soon as I can. Have a wonderful day :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

 **A/N** **: More fluff coming your way :P Last chapter :D I'd like to thank those who have supported me to write this story. This is my first fanfiction, and I plan on writing much more :) This isn't my best story, and I hope that I can become a more fluent writer. Enjoy :3**

Tears continued to fall from Erza's chocolate brown eyes as she stared at a picture of her childhood friends. After remembering the rough times during her elementary school years as well as what happened to Simon, she lost control of herself. No matter how much she tried, the tears kept running down her cheeks. Jellal had just walked into the room and saw Erza and her mini breakdown. He quickly sat by her side on their beige, leather sofa and proceeded to wrap his arm around her and murmured words of comfort.

"Thank you Jellal, but I'm fine," Erza said as she wiped her tears with the palm of her hand. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't help it."

Jellal caressed Erza in his arms as they continued to flip through the pages of their photo album. "It's fine."

"I'm surprised how you're coping with my reaction to these photos," Erza giggled. "A few years ago, you would've been apologizing to me over and over again. But now..."

She smiled. "I'm so happy that you finally moved on. Although it was never truly your fault..."

"Erza. I was just as guilty as Ultear. They wouldn't have decided to move if we didn't torment Simon."

Erza shook her head. "No. His parents never liked their previous location. They would've moved regardless of what the circumstances were."

They sat in silence for awhile. Jellal shifted his position on the sofa and allowed Erza to lean into him. Erza still held the album in her hands and propped it against her lap as she continued to flip through the pages. She smiled as she looked through the album's contents together with Jellal. They had finally reached photos of when they attended Fairy Tail University; from Richard's magazine photos to pictures of their graduation ceremony, the couple smiled in amusement. Their smiles widened when they noticed Crime Sorciere taking a funny photo while wearing their new club shirts from their mini-fundraiser. As Erza flipped to the last few pages of the album, Jellal gently placed her hand on top of hers.

Erza looked up to him with a perplexed look on her face. "Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing," he breathed. He led Erza's hand off the page; it was covering a very special photo.

There they were, standing side by side. Erza wore an elegant, traditional westernized white wedding dress. Along her waistline, there were small, ribbon-like light blue roses that wrapped around her. Jellal stood to her left; he wore a black tuxedo with a red bow tie. His messy blue hair was combed back, but pieces of his hair still managed to stick out. All of their family and friends surrounded the couple.

Erza smiled as Jellal took notice of her wedding ring on the hand that he was currently moving. He gently rubbed the heart-shaped diamond at the ring's center with his thumb.

"How long do you plan on doing that?" Erza teased.

"Sorry. I'm just... I'm so..." Jellal sighed. "I can't believe that we made it this far together."

Erza smiled. "I couldn't have done it without you," she said as her eyes wandered across the room. She made contact with the kendo stick Jellal had bought for her on Valentine's Day. She had left it leaning against the wall along with a bunch of other awards she had received so far as a kendoist. Just below her rewards was a box that she'd never seen before. She perked up from her current position in Jellal's arms.

"That's strange... I've never seen that box lying around before," she wondered aloud.

Jellal gave a small chuckle as he released her from his arms. "Go ahead and open it."

Erza cautiously made way towards the box and looked over her shoulder to see how Jellal would react to her curiosity. The box itself was long; it was almost the length of a kendo stick.

 _Hold up._

Erza peered over at her husband with a look of suspicion creeping on her face as she picked up the box with care. "I think I already know what's inside."

"Do you?" He wiggled his eyebrows teasingly. "I really wonder."

Erza set the box on a nearby coffee table and carefully removed the lid. Inside awaited a brand new kendo stick with a subscription on the handle. _'Love Unsheathed'._ Erza looked up at her now smiling husband.

"Jellal, you didn't have to-"

"But I did," he continued to show her his straight, white teeth. "You've been using that kendo stick for a long time, and I figured that it might wear out soon, so..." He looked down in disappointment when he noticed Erza's frown.

"I'm sorry."

"No, no! I love it very much!" Erza added quickly. "It's just the subscript I'm concerned about."

"Too cheesy for you?"

"No... it's just... kendo sticks don't have that kind of sheath!" She laughed.

Albeit her laughter, he grinned at her in amusement. "So?"

" _So?_ Do you care to explain to me what this means?" Erza smirked as she pointed at the message.

"Why, I'm so glad you asked that of me, Mrs. Fernandes. Care to sit on my lap as I tell you?"

Erza obediently sat on Jellal's lap. "Do tell."

"Well... When I was thinking about what kind of message to put on the stick, I was looking at the 'sheaths' behind the counter of the shop and..."

"And?"

"Whenever you spar with someone, you don't need it, right?"

"Right."

"Therefore it is unsheathed. And the stick is my heart to you." He planted a kiss on her forehead and looked into the eyes of his wife. Her cheeks were tinted red, and he could hardly contain himself when it came to seeing Erza in her current state. She leaned into his chest and allowed him to rest his chin on her head.

"I love it. Thank you."

Jellal stroked her hair with his right hand and hugged her with his left. "Erza?" She hummed in response to her name.

"Thank you for forgiving me; for allowing me to forgive myself."

Erza smiled into his chest.

"Do you think that Simon would've been proud of us?"

"I think so."

Erza smiled back at him and looked at his dazzling, olive-green eyes. "I love you."

He brushed her hair back as she brought her face to the level of his and tucked it behind her ears. It was then that their lips touched, and Jellal's arms wrapped around her protectively, and ensured their survival as a couple.

 _When I first met you, your smile was so radiant that I would become blinded by it. Even during the darkest times, you were the light that illuminated my darkness. Then the time came where I hurt others to protect you. Even so, you've continued to shine ever so brightly and walk forward. But I stayed behind. It was you that dragged me back into the light without tainting your inner glow. I love you too; more than you can ever imagine._

 **A/N:** **The end :D I don't know what to do with myself anymore XD**

 **Please review and provide feedback on what kind of stories I should write about next :P**

 **There is also another fanfiction in the works as well ;) I hope you will check it out. I am still busy because of school and I will most likely update it after all my exams are over and done with.**

 **Thanks again for reading. :D**


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